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Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services 60 DRAFT REPORT and 911/Communications Center Operations Study SECTION 4-911/COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 4.1 HISTORICAL&STATUTORY REFERENCES Emergency communications in the mind of both citizens and public safety professionals is synonymous with "911"; the number dialed in an emergency. Since this concept deals essentially with telephone communications, the federal government, particularly the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has played a significant role in its development. In 1967 the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice recommended that a "single number" be established for nationwide use to report emergency situations. On March 22, 1974,the Office of Telecommunications Policy issued National Policy Bulletin Number 73- 1,the National Policy for Emergency Telephone Number 911". This policy stated that: 1. It is the place of the Federal Government to encourage local authorities to adopt and establish 911 emergency telephone services in all metropolitan areas, and throughout the United States. [Paragraph 3(a)] 2. Responsibility for the establishment of 911 services should reside with the local government. [Paragraph 3(b)] 3. The cost for basic 911 service should not be a deterrent to its establishment [Paragraph 3(c)] By 1996 cellular and commercial mobile telephone service had become so popular and widespread that the FCC issued issue a report (CC Docket No. 94-102;July 26, 1996) calling for the requirement that 911 service be available to wireless phone users in two phases; phase I would provide calling party's number and cell tower location; phase II would provide calling party's number and location of the mobile phone by latitude and longitude. The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 was subsequently signed by the President on October 26th, of that year. North Carolina Public Safety Telephone Act In 1989 the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Public Safety Telephone Act recognizing 911 as a toll free number through which an individual in the State can gain rapid, direct access to public safety aid. The Act became law as North Carolina General Statute Chapter 62A. Local governments were to set a rate and collect a 911 service fee to pay eligible costs associated with providing that direct access to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP). When wireless phones became popular, they did not fit the wireline model for providing location information, so in 1998 the Legislature adopted NC Senate Bill 1242 providing for a 911 Wireless Fund and creation of the Wireless 911 Board. This bill defined the composition of the fund and the requirements for participation. It became law as Article 2 of§62A. During the 2007 legislative session House Bill 1755 was introduced "to modernize and improve the administration of the State's 911 system through a statewide 911 Board by ensuring that all voice services contribute to the 911 system and by providing parity in the quality of service and the level of 911 charges across voice communications service providers." The bill was passed as Session Law 2007- 383, and took effect January 1, 2008. It requires all voice communications service providers to collect a single rate 911 service fee and remit collections to the State 911 Board rather than to the local governments. The State 911 Board distributes funds to the PSAPs based upon criteria set forth in the new law. Solutions for Local Government,Inc. 58