Emergency Services
The Next Generation
Driven by digitalization, data becomes a valuable asset in basically every aspect of today’s world. In public safety, additional data improves situational awareness and is key to fast and efficient emergency services.
Next Generation 911 (NG-911) and Next Generation 112 (NG112) standards specify components, interfaces and protocols for a modern IP based emergency network.
Switching to an IP based network provides the foundation for multimedia services such as video feeds and real-time texting and enables data driven emergency services. Currently, most emergency calls are audio based, providing a verbal description of the situation to the operator. Additional media enriches this verbal description with video feeds and images to provide a better awareness of the situation. Emergency services with an human initiator are mostly reactive, regardless of the communication channels.
Pure data driven emergency services in contrast, are automatic emergency calls triggered autonomously. The eCall in cars is automatically initiated based on sensor data when an accident is detected. Smart sensors, fall detection or applications that monitor critical body functions (heart rate, blood sugar) are other examples of purely data driven emergency services.
Data Driven
Data driven emergency calls, solely triggered by data.
Multimedia
Enriches emergency communication with video feeds and real time texting.
Audio + GPS
Advanced Mobile Location provides accurate location information.
Audio + Tower based Location
Enhancing emergency services by getting a rough location estimate.
Audio Only
Basic communication without additional data.
Additional Data
Utilize accurate location data, personal information and sensor data in the emergency call process to provide more precise dispatch proposals.
Flexible Routing
Route emergency calls based on caller attributes (location, language, etc.) and current PSAP capabilities to provide more efficient emergency services.
Additional Media
Raise the situation awareness by including video or improve emergency services by including non-audio communication such as real-time texting.
Well-known Standards
NG112 / NG-911 provide blueprints for modern emergency services. Standardized interfaces are key to integrated, multi-vendor and cross-border emergency services.
NG Core Services
NG112 and NG-911 share the same concepts and architectural blueprint. The communication is based on Voice over IP (VoIP) with additional data in the payload.
This standardization enables an integrated and extensible multi-vendor solution.
Emergency Call Routing Function
The ECRF resolves the location of a caller and the requested service (e.g. police) to an actual IP endpoint. It supports hierarchical setup via an ECRF Forest Guide.
Emergency Service Routing Proxy
The ESRP determines an emergency call's endpoint by evaluating the location and the state of the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to route the call accordingly.
Emergency Call Routing Function
The ECRF resolves the location of a caller and the requested service (e.g. police) to an actual IP endpoint. It supports hierarchical setup via an ECRF Forest Guide.
Border Control Function
The BCF acts as a security layer and guards the access to the emergency network.