[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 221 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 68442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27086]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Federal Advisory Committee Act; Task Force on Optimal Public 
Safety Answering Point Architecture

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; of intent to establish.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the 
purpose of this notice is to announce that a Federal Advisory 
Committee, known as the ``Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering 
Pont (PSAP) Architecture'' (hereinafter ``Task Force''), is being 
established.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Furth, Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC), Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), 
202-418-0632, email: [email protected]; Timothy May, FCC, PSHSB, 202-
418-1463, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 8, 2014, the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Second Report and Order and 
Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in PS Docket No. 11-153 and 
PS Docket No. 10-255 (available at http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-text-911-rules), wherein it directed the FCC's Public Safety and 
Homeland Security Bureau to establish the task force. The Committee 
Management Secretariat, General Services Administration concurs with 
the establishment of the Task Force. There are approximately 6,800 
PSAPs in operation across the nation. This large number of PSAPs 
potentially increases the costs and resources needed from the 
communications industry, public safety community, and state, local and 
tribal governments. Further, public safety communications systems are 
converting to Next Generation 911 (NG911) in the coming years, which 
may further add to the costs and resource requirements of the nation's 
PSAPs. In addition, a number of states continue to divert critical E911 
funding from its intended purposes to unrelated functions. To address 
these issues, the Task Force shall examine the current structure and 
architecture of the nation's PSAPs in order to determine whether 
additional consolidation of PSAP facilities and architecture would 
promote greater efficiency of operations, safety of life, and cost 
containment, while retaining needed integration with local first 
responder dispatch and support. The duties of the Task Force will be to 
study and report findings and recommendations on the following issues, 
including optimal PSAP system and network configuration in terms of 
emergency communications efficiency, performance, and operations 
functionality; cost projections for conversion to and annual operation 
of PSAPs that incorporate such optimal system design; comparative cost 
projections for annual maintenance of all existing PSAPs annually and 
upgrading them to NG911; recommendations on ways to ensure states use 
E911 funding for their intended purpose; and whether states that divert 
E911 funds should be ineligible to participate on various FCC councils, 
committees, and working groups.
    The Task Force will present its initial findings and 
recommendations to the Commission no later than April 30, 2015 unless 
such period is extended by consent of the Chairman of the Commission 
(or his designee).

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-27086 Filed 11-14-14; 8:45 am]
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