City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 8, 2017
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
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Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Alexandria and Arlington County for the procurement and ongoing support for Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) call processing technology.
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ISSUE: Collaboration between the City of Alexandria and Arlington County in regards to Next Generation 9-1-1.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council endorse the City of Alexandria’s participation in the National Capital Region (NCR) Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (Attached).
BACKGROUND: Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1 is an Internet Protocol-based system that allows digital information (e.g., voice, photos, videos, text messages) to flow seamlessly from the public, through the 9-1-1 network to emergency responders. NG 9-1-1 will benefit the residents, visitors, and businesses of the City of Alexandria and the NCR by enhancing call delivery resiliency and reliability; creating network redundancy and diversity; enabling real-time photo and video transmissions; and, improving call transfer capabilities across jurisdictions. Purposeful implementation of NG 9-1-1 will maximize the region’s continued commitment to timely and effective delivery of interoperable 9-1-1 service.
DISCUSSION: The NCR has established goals for the NG 9-1-1 phone system that focus on interoperability and improve efficiency in the handling of 9-1-1 calls in order to improve operational standards and increase public safety in the region. Towards that end, the City of Alexandria and Arlington County staff have developed a MOU for the planning, design, procurement, installation, configuration, operation and lifecycle management of a new shared NG 9-1-1 system to support these goals of interoperability and improve efficiency of call processing and public safety emergency response. The City of Alexandria and Arlington County have both planned for and allocated funding to improve their 9-1-1 call processing systems.
The implementation of solutions warranted an integrated solution that could meet interoperable standards. After researching options, both jurisdictions have worked together on a solution that will meet jurisdictional and regional goals. This will be achieved by creating a single integrated system which provides the City of Alexandria and Arlington County the ability to receive and process their respective 9-1-1 (emergency) and 10-digit (non-emergency) telephone calls from either jurisdiction’s primary and backup 9-1-1 Center. In addition, both jurisdictions will have the ability to receive and answer each other’s future 9-1-1 and 10-digit telephone calls when either is unable to do so, such as during a system/facility failure or 9-1-1 center facility emergency.
This MOU details the processes involved for staff members from both jurisdictions to handle operational issues, system ownership, and financial processes, and identifies inter-jurisdictional working groups in order to communicate issues in a transparent and accountable format.
FISCAL IMPACT: Arlington County will be the fiduciary agent for this project. As fiduciary agent, the Arlington County Department of Public Safety and Communications and Emergency Management (DPSCEM) will handle all financial matters related to this project. To fully fund this project, the City of Alexandria will provide an inter-jurisdictional transfer of its portion of the project expenses. The City has budgeted $1.7 million in the adopted FY 2018 Capital Improvement Program to replace its 9-1-1 system. Future payments beyond that amount are subject to appropriation consideration by the governing bodies of Alexandria and Arlington.
ATTACHMENT: Memorandum of Understanding for a National Capital Region Next
Generation 9-1-1
STAFF:
Debra Collins, Deputy City Manager
Renee M. Gordon, Director, Department of Emergency Communications