FEMA Speeds Up 9-1-1 Upgrade

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is speeding up its response to emergencies at its own headquarters, as the agency says it will install a brand-new emergency call management system in its office.

In an article on the Washington Technology website, staff writer Alice Lipowicz says FEMA released a notice saying it wants to install the new system in an attempt to “properly identify the location of the caller from within FEMA’s office locations in the Washington, DC, region and to route the call to the appropriate 911 call center.

The agency is putting out a solicitation for the work, looking for a system that can identify the person, phone number and office location of the emergency call, including building, floor, room and cubicle number from which the call originates. If necessary the call may be automatically routed to the nearest geographic 911 call center.

“The IT Enterprise Operations Headquarters Office at the agency’s headquarters in the District of Columbia is issuing the solicitation,” Lipowicz says. “No dollar amount is given for the contract. The Emergency Call Management System must be installed and fully functional within 45 days from the date of award, which is expected to be Feb. 12. It will operate in five FEMA locations in Washington and Arlington, Virginia.”