Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure announces the successful transition of the Northampton County Emergency Management Center to the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Network. All County 911 call traffic is now live on the NG911 Core Services for all voice, text, and location services with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

NG911 is designed to enhance access to emergency services by bridging the digital divide and strengthening an aging 911 ecosystem originally built solely for wireline telephones. The new network replaces state infrastructure from the 1970s with a secure fiber-based network that relies on Geographic Information System (GIS) map data to locate and deliver calls to the appropriate 911 call center, allowing for smooth call transfers and sharing of systems and data, creating other opportunities yet to be implemented.

Northampton County’s NG911 call delivery is now provided by PEMA 911 through Comtech Telecommunications Corp.; previously, Verizon was the provider.

“Northampton County now joins PEMA’s NG911 initiative to enhance 911 Centers capabilities and services to the community,” says Todd Weaver, ENP, Director, Northampton County Emergency Management Services. “I would like to thank Michael Lenner, Deputy Director for System, A.J. Olszewski, System & Logistic Manager, and all 911 staff for their effort in preparing Northampton County for a seamless transition. This transition allows us to be better equipped to receive incoming 911 calls faster and with more accurate caller information, relying on modern technology to identify wireless caller’s location and securely receive multimedia communications like text messages, photos, and video.”

Telecommunicators’ methods of receiving and handling emergency calls will not change, and today’s move to Next Generation 911 resulted in no service disruptions for Northampton County. Callers will not see any difference when calling 911.

Information provided to TVL by:
County of Northampton
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
https://www.northamptoncounty.org/

 

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