NG9-1-1 Service:  
Media Communication Line 
Services (MCLS) 
(formerly: Emergency Video Sign Language & Communication Assistance 
Service) 
Direct Connect to NG9-1-1 using all modalities of 
communication for individuals with disabilities who 
make Video, Text and/or Voice Calls  
 
Direct access to PSAPs/9-1-1 services 
with connection to trained and qualified 
sign language interpreters and 
communication assistants for people with 
disabilities in the same manner as 
language services using video, voice, 
text as needed for providing emergency 
communication. 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommendations: 
1) Independent MCLS centers, to be 
nationally recognized and certified 
2) National standard operational protocol 
(SOP) for MCLS 
3) Standard qualifications for Sign 
Language Interpreters (SLIs) and other 
types of Communication Assistants 
(CAs) in handling 9-1-1 calls 
4) Standard training for SLIs and CAs 
 
5) Standard employee assistance program 
for SLI and CAs 
6) Standard quality assurance (MCLS, SLIs, 
CAs) 
7) Consumer Outreach and Education 
Program 
8) General interoperability requirements and 
technical standards for MCLS and PSAPs 
9) Standard policy and operational protocol 
on contingency plan for MCLS 
 Needs for Functional Equivalency:  
 
1)  EAAC 2011 Survey review – Devices used every day 
and VERY important for direct connect to 9-1-1 as 
opposed to VRS first. (Paradigm shift connect to SLI 
after connect to PSAP not before) 
 
2)  Functional equivalency – People with disability 
access to the same services as hearing callers and 
non-English speaking callers who have been calling 
911/PSAPs directly for years. 
 
3)  Lack of Standards - There is no standard regulation 
from FCC for 9-1-1 relayed calls to be connected to 
appropriate PSAPs within reasonable time, which is 
incongruent and unsafe.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
LEGACY 911: Voice or TTY call  
Caller  PSAP 
Language 
Services  
Legacy 9-1-1 - Hearing person who speaks language other than 
English calls 9-1-1  
  
When a hearing person calls, the telecommunicator recognizes that s/he 
speaks another language. The telecommunicator will connect to a 
language services agency to provide translation services. This becomes 
three-way conferencing call.  The PSAP has contract with the language 
services agency.  
PSAP  
Video 
Interpreter Caller  
Routing 
Services 
Legacy 9-1-1: Video Relay Service (VRS) – Calling 9-1-1 
 
• A person calls VRS first and then interpreter call 9-1-1. 
• VRS providers have contracts with vendors that provide routing services to appropriate PSAPs. 
• Video Interpreters call the routing service vendor first and give address to a live person prior to connecting to PSAPs. 
• Calls can go through non-emergency, emergency or administrative lines rather than via the 9-1-1 line.  
Telecommunicators have priority to respond to calls coming through 9-1-1 line, so non-9-1-1 line calls can result in 
delayed responses. 
• The video interpreter relays communication between Telecommunicator and caller. 
 
NG911: Video, Text, Voice or Data call 
Caller  
Media 
Communication  
Line Service  
PSAP 
NG9-1-1:  A person calls 9-1-1 using multimedia 
  
When a person calls 9-1-1 via video or other types of media, the Telecommunicator recognizes that the caller needs SLI or 
another type of assistance such as re-voicers, and then connects to MCLS (same concept as language services).  The 
caller’s terminal will engage in a call, such as video conferencing.  There will be different types of communication 
modalities involved depending on the needs of the callers.  Examples are: 
• Deaf-Blind (DB) – interpreter will voice what DB signs and then Telecommunicator responds by typing to DB who will 
read Large Print or Braille 
• Speech Disabled (SD) – interpreter will re-voice what the SD says and then Telecommunicator will talk directly to SD 
• Late Deafened (LD) or others who are learning ASL – LD will voice to Telecommunicator and have interpreter to sign 
along with captions, or speechread the interpreter 
  
PSAP will record all media types involved in the conversations.   
 Caller  
9-1-1 
Caller 
Profile 
Database 
PSAP 
Emergency Video Sign 
Language & other 
Communication Assistance 
Service 
 
OR 
 
Video Relay Service 
 
 
 NG9-1-1:  A person calls 9-1-1 using multimedia [caller profile] 
  
When a person calls NG9-1-1, the signaling will reflect the desired communication mode, language preference and a specific combination of 
media types, and then will connect to the PSAP, engaging the Media Communication Line Service simultaneously.  During the call set-up, 
MCLS will be invoked automatically as necessary, and the Telecommunicator will receive the caller profile at her/his station stating the type 
of communication mode the caller prefers prior to answering the call.  All three parties involved in the call will have video conferencing.  There 
will be different types of communication modalities involved depending on the need of the callers. Examples are shown in Diagram 3. 
  
PSAP will record all media types involved in the conversations.   
 
Media Communication 
Line Services 
 MCLS Work Group Co-Chairs 
 
• Chris Littlewood 
 littlewood.chris@spcollege.edu 
 
• Donna Platt 
 donna911wa@gmail.com