Federal Communications Commission FCC 19-124 STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI Re: Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements, PS Docket No. 07-114. When you dial 911 for help, every second counts. That’s why first responders need to be able to find you as quickly as possible. But when you call 911 from a wireless phone in a multi-story building, this can be a challenge. First responders may know what building address you’re calling from, but they may find it difficult if not impossible to figure out which floor you’re on. Today, we aim to close this gap. We do this by adopting a vertical, or “z-axis,” location accuracy metric of plus or minus 3 meters for 80% of wireless E911 calls from z-axis capable handsets. In English, this means that first responders will now be able to more accurately identify the floor level for most 911 calls and reduce emergency response time. Perhaps the best verdict on what this 3-meter metric means comes directly from the public safety community. In a recent joint statement, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs’ Association and National Association of State EMS Officials state: “A three meter z-axis metric not only provides emergency responders with actionable location information, but it also gives the public greater assurance that when they dial 9-1-1 from their cell phones, emergency responders can find them more quickly.” The National Association of EMS Physicians says that our action today will “provide faster medical attention, ideally improving outcomes and saving lives.” And NENA, The 9-1-1 Association says that “We’re pleased with the ±3m standard, and we’re not alone. It’s safe to say that public safety stands behind the FCC’s draft rules.” And the National Association of State 911 Administrators says, “With these rules and proposals, the FCC demonstrates the importance of accurate wireless 911 location information and its critical role in public safety.” The National Sheriffs’ Association says, “This [rule] will enable 911 callers to be located more quickly, will greatly improve response times and will save lives.” And just yesterday, I visited the Cambridge, Massachusetts Emergency Communications Department, where I met David Harmon. This public safety hero was the police dispatcher who was on call in 2013 following the Boston Marathon bombings, when MIT Officer Sean Collier was shot and killed, and the suspects raised mayhem across the metropolitan area. As David put it, this z-axis metric “will make all the difference in the world. . . . It’s gigantic.” I’m grateful for the service of the public safety heroes who sacrifice so much every day to protect Americans. I’m honored to have their strong support of our decision today. And I’m proud to stand on the side of public safety. In adopting a z-axis metric, we also take steps to protect data privacy and security. First, we amend our rules to ensure that 911 call z-axis information is used only for 911 purposes. And we require that any z-axis information that is stored before or after the 911 call also will be subject to the same consumer privacy and security protections that apply to data for purposes of the National Emergency Address Database. These measures are consistent with our longstanding approach to protection of 911 location data and consumer privacy. As important as today’s action is, we also recognize that as technology evolves, so too should our z-axis metric. And so we’re looking at tightening the z-axis metric over time, and even ultimately requiring wireless carriers to report the caller’s specific floor level. We also seek input on alternative deployment milestones for z-axis and dispatchable location technologies. I would like to express my personal gratitude to Harold Schaitberger, the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, for joining us today to express his organization’s support for this bold measure. The International Association of Fire Fighters represents 320,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics. These are the men and women who rush into buildings when there is an emergency and they are the ones who best understand what information they need to find someone quickly and save lives. We also wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the commitment of our own dedicated staff on the front lines: Dr. Kenneth Carlberg, Rochelle Cohen, Alex Espinoza, John Evanoff, Nellie Foosaner, Lisa Fowlkes, David Furth, Erika Olsen, Dr. Rasoul Safavian, and Michael Wilhelm from the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Chana Wilkerson and Sanford Williams from the Office of Communications Business Opportunities; Eric Burger, Jonathan Campbell, Giulia McHenry, Chuck Needy, and Emily Talaga from the Office of Economics and Analytics; Brian Butler and Ira Keltz from the Office of Engineering and Technology; David Horowitz, William Richardson, and Anjali Singh from the Office of General Counsel; and Nicole Ongele from the Office of Managing Director. 2