60FF-6.001: Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Purpose
60FF-6.002: Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan County E911 Plan Compliance
60FF-6.003: Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Request for Certification of Compliance
60FF-6.004: Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Administration Rule
60FF-6.005: Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Technical and Operations Rule
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: Provide necessary rules for implementing and coordinating a cohesive statewide emergency communications number “E911” plan for enhanced 911 services, which will provide citizens with rapid direct access to public safety agencies by accessing “911” with the objective of reducing the response time to situations requiring law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue, and other emergency services.
SUMMARY: The proposed rule defines E911 system requirements, the application and approval process, security requirements and service and maintenance priorities.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: A Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost has been prepared. The Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost estimates seven large counties, thirty medium counties and thirty rural counties will be required to comply with the rule. All counties currently have established Enhanced 911 systems and the costs for compliance vary and depend upon the number of Public Safety Answering Points established by the county. Florida law provides for a capped fifty cent fee on wireless and nonwireless communications that is collected and disbursed to the counties by the E911 Board to offset the costs for E911 emergency communication service. Rural counties are provided additional special funding opportunities through the E911 Board rural county grant program for E911 equipment, maintenance and system costs. The rulemaking will have no effect on small business.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 365.171(4) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 365.171(4), (10) FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: November 22, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: Department of Management Services, 4030 Esplanade Way, Room 225A, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 2 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Queenell Fox at (850)921-0522. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Wink Infinger, Department of Management Services/Division of Telecommunications, 4030 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950, (850)921-0041; Wink.Infinger@dms.myflorida.com
THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:
60FF-6.001 Purpose.
(1) The purpose of this rule chapter is to prescribe necessary rules for implementing, coordinating and maintaining a statewide emergency Enhanced 911 communication system. It also prescribes the necessary procedures to be followed by an entity of local government for implementation of the Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan.
(2) Definitions:
(a) “Automatic location identification” (ALI) – The capability of the E911 service which enables the automatic display of information that defines the approximate geographic location of the wireless telephone, or the location of the address of the wireline or VoIP telephones, used to place a 911 call.
(b) “Automatic number identification” (ANI) – The capability of the E911 service which enables the automatic display of the service number used to place a 911 call.
(c) “Customer Premises Equipment” (CPE) including communications or terminal equipment located at a PSAP for 911 call processing and answering.
(d) “Enhanced 911” (E911) – A telephone system which includes network switching, data base and Public Safety Answering Point premise elements capable of providing automatic location identification data, selective routing, selective transfer, fixed transfer, and a call back number.
(e) “Master Street Addressing Guide” (MSAG) – The database of street names and number ranges used to define unique addresses recognized for public safety agencies response to 911 calls.
(f) “Public Safety Answering Point” (PSAP) – A public safety agency answering point that receives incoming 911 calls for dispatching of appropriate public safety agencies to respond to the 911 calls.
1. “Primary PSAP” – An answering point that has 911 calls routed directly from an E911 control office, 911 selective router, or directly from the service providers.
2. “Secondary PSAP” – An answering point that receives 911 calls transferred from a primary PSAP for the purpose of handling public safety agency calls. A secondary PSAP receives transfers of the voice, ANI, and ALI data for 911 calls from primary PSAPs.
(g) “Teletypewriters” (TTY) – A telecommunications device for the deaf that permits typed telephone conversations with or between deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired people.
(h) “Uninterruptible Power Supply” (UPS) – A device designed to provide a continuing source of power without regard to the interruption or loss of commercial power.
(i) “Department” – The Department of Management Services (DMS)
Rulemaking Authority 365.171(4) FS. Law Implemented 365.171(4), (10) FS. History–New________,
60FF-6.002 County E911 Plan Compliance.
(1) Each County E911 plan shall include:
(a) System Summary including identification of all public safety agencies (law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical, and rescue agencies), within the boundaries of the 911 system including PSAPs, government agencies, type of systems and service providers and any major distinguishing features.
(b) System Management including a brief description of how the system is presently being or will be managed.
(c) Agreements including briefly described agreements between PSAPs (inter-local agreements) and counties (regional agreements).
(d) System definition section defining each PSAP and its equipment compliance with the technical and operational standards in Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C., and shall include the number of answering positions, total staff and the number of incoming trunks.
(e) Call handling section defining how each PSAP handles calls intended for each emergency service agency within its jurisdiction.
(f) System serving area showing each PSAP, each central office area, central office overlap areas. This information will not be posted on the State E911 Web site with the County E911 plan.
(g) PSAP 911 Trunk Network, a functional diagram, showing the routing of calls from the various central offices and other E911 circuits to the various PSAPs. This information will not be posted on the State E911 Web site with the County E911 plan.
(2) All E911 systems shall conform to Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C. Should an entity of local government desire to alter its system, it shall seek prior approval in accordance with Section 365.171(9), Florida Statutes. The request shall be submitted in writing to the Statewide 911 Coordinator, including identification of PSAP(s)/agencies, new equipment and quantities, delete equipment and system cost.
(a) If said request is approved, the Department of Management Services shall thereupon deliver written notification thereof to the requesting entity.
(b) If said request is denied, the Department of Management Services shall thereupon deliver written notification thereof to the requesting entity, setting forth therein the specific reasons for said denial.
(3) The existing county E911 plan shall be modified to reflect the expansion and changes, and each change shall be clearly noted.
(4) Final county E911 plan approval must be obtained prior to the system becoming operational. Once a system is operational; an entity can submit a written request to the statewide 911 coordinator for a certification inspection of its respective E911 system as meeting the minimum technical and operational standards in subsection 60FF-6.002(1) and Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C.
Rulemaking Authority 365.171(4) FS. Law Implemented 365.171(4), (10) FS. History–New________,
60FF-6.003 Request for Certification of Compliance.
(1) Certification will determine that the E911 systems operated or planned to be operated by entities of local government meet the minimum technical and operational standards in subsection 60FF-6.002(1) and Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C., so that an established minimum standard of service is available to citizens within any given E911 serving area. Entities of local government shall coordinate closely with Department of Management Services’ personnel in the development of their respective E911 systems per Rule 60FF-6.002, F.A.C.
(2) A DMS representative will coordinate the scheduling of inspections with county 911 coordinators.
(3) Upon completion of the inspection, the statewide 911 coordinator will send to the county 911 coordinator a list of all PSAPs that have passed the inspection and or a list of all PSAPs that have deficiencies. Any deficiencies will be explained and if applicable, specific directions detailing how to correct deficiencies will be included. DMS will rely on the county 911 coordinator and PSAP supervisors to make the necessary corrections. Upon receipt of written correspondence from the county 911 coordinator stating that corrections have been made, DMS will add the newly approved PSAP(s) to the list of certified PSAPs.
(4) PSAPs that pass the inspection of the minimum technical and operational standards in subsection 60FF-6.002(1) and Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C., will be certified as compliant with the State E911 Plan pursuant to Section 365.171(10), Florida Statutes.
Rulemaking Authority 365.171(4) FS. Law Implemented 365.171(4), (10) FS. History–New________,
60FF-6.004 Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Administration Rule.
(1) The Board of County Commissioners in each county is established as the responsible fiscal agent. The funds collected and interest earned are appropriated for E911 purposes by the county commissioners for the County 911 system and operations. Ultimate responsibility and authority within a county for the E911 System rests with the Board of County Commissioners.
(2) The only advertised emergency number shall be 911. This shall include emergency numbers on public safety vehicles, stickers, signs and telephone directories. Specifically, the only advertised emergency number for Teletypewriters (TTYs) shall be 911. All other listed or advertised telephone numbers shall be designated as non-emergency or other important numbers.
(3) County 911 Coordinator.
(a) The Board of County Commissioners shall designate a knowledgeable individual as its county 911 coordinator. This individual is responsible for coordinating the E911 program within their county, who will serve as a single point of contact with the Department for all E911 related issues. The Board of County Commissioners shall provide written notification to the Statewide 911 Coordinator when a new county 911 coordinator has been designated.
(b) The county 911 coordinator must make critical infrastructure investment recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. This individual must provide the expertise needed to ensure the county complies with all state and federal laws and rules affecting E911. The county 911 coordinator is responsible for assembling all cost data and determining the amount of necessary funding. The county 911 coordinator shall advise the county commissioners so that appropriate fiscal measures can be adopted by the Board of County Commissioners to fully fund the county’s E911 system. Annual E911 financial information updates shall be provided by the Board of County Commissioners to the Florida E911 Board and DMS.
(c) The county 911 coordinator must implement countywide systems and standards that meet or exceed technical and operational standards in Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C. This individual shall coordinate E911 infrastructure-related activities among all emergency service agencies and equipment/service providers to ensure that the system performs smoothly, reliably, and efficiently in concert with statewide emergency communication objectives. This position must ensure the maintenance and functionality of the county’s E911 system on a 24 x 7 basis. The county 911 coordinator is responsible for database and Master Street Addressing Guide management, maintenance and error resolution. County 911 Coordinators must determine the best procedures to accommodate changing technological environments and provide the best 911 service that can be provided, on a 24 x 7 basis.
(d) The county 911 coordinator shall evaluate the equipment and security at the county PSAP(s) to determine that all items meet or exceed those standards in Rule 60FF-6.005, F.A.C., and that they are operational. The county 911 coordinator, or designee, is required to accompany the DMS inspector to the PSAP(s) being inspected.
Rulemaking Authority 365.171(4) FS. Law Implemented 365.171(4), (10) FS. History–New________,
60FF-6.005 Florida Emergency Communications Number E911 State Plan Technical and Operations Rule.
(1) Public Safety Answering Point.
(a) Each 911 primary PSAP shall operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(b) All primary PSAPs shall be staffed with an adequate number of answering positions to ensure that a minimum of 90 percent of voice calls shall be answered within 10 seconds of call arrival at the PSAP and 20 seconds for Teletypewriter (TTY) calls. All secondary PSAPs shall also meet this standard.
(c) The county 911 coordinator must anticipate and consider increases in emergency call volume. A determination must be made as to whether the existing staff can handle an increased work load and still meet the technical standards in paragraph 60FF-6.005(1)(b), F.A.C. If not, additional call taker positions and staff must be added. It is the responsibility of the county 911 coordinator to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action to assure adequate staffing. Criteria shall include busy hour call volume, call length and telephone grade of service.
(d) For wireline 911 calls, a minimum number of dedicated 911 lines shall be provided from the service provider’s central office(s) to the 911 selective router and from that selective router to the 911 PSAP to supply a P.01 grade of service or better. A P.01 grade of service allows one busy signal in 100 attempted calls during the average busy hour. For wireline 911 calls, there shall be a minimum of two lines from each central office to the selective router and there shall be a minimum of two lines from the selective router to each PSAP.
(e) The agency shall take into account the estimated volume of calls that the remote agency will receive during the busy hour when determining the number of lines required.
(f) The county 911 coordinator shall analyze MIS and E911 traffic data and determine wireless call routing and act upon this information as necessary for congestion control management to the PSAP(s).
(g) The county 911 coordinator shall work closely with PSAP managers, supervisors, public safety providers, and call takers to develop standard operation procedures for call handling and ADA compliance. Each PSAP shall review and update these call handling procedures regularly with the county 911 coordinator. Call takers shall have ready access to county and or agency 911 policy and procedure manuals.
(2) Public Safety Answering Point Equipment – The county PSAP(s) shall incorporate the following operational equipment:
(a) Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) including 911 call processing and call answering communications or terminal equipment located at the PSAP and the call taker positions.
1. Automatic telephone number identification (ANI) display capability.
2. Automatic location identification (ALI) display capability.
(b) Management Information System (MIS) – call record management system required for call detail information State reporting capable of identifying by County and PSAP, at a minimum: the number of 911 calls, the call volume and percentage by type of call and trunk identifier, the call taker position at the PSAP, the call length of time to answer, transferred or terminated, and the duration of the call.
(c) Printer for call detail information, 911 logging printer or e-printer needed for records.
(d) Teletypewriters (TTYs) communications equipment or functional equivalent with record printout. If 24-hour repair is not available for TTY equipment, the county 911 system shall maintain spare TTYs for temporary use.
(e) Logging recording equipment will record the conversation, incoming trunk, identification of the position handling the call, and date and time of each 911 call.
(f) Instant play back recording capability, each call taker shall be equipped with access to instant playback recording capability.
(g) Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with sufficient capacity to maintain PSAP equipment until the motor generator stabilizes. No calls shall be interrupted or lost during the transition to the UPS.
(h) Auxiliary-powered motor generator sets with associated fuel capacity and resupply capability, for supplying emergency power to the PSAP during extended commercial power outages.
(i) Grounding integrity, the 911 system and generator shall be installed using appropriate grounding engineering.
(j) Lightning and A/C power surge protection.
(k) Fire protection.
(l) 911 consoles, furniture, etc.
(3) Call Taker Position.
(a) The 911 call taker shall be dedicated to processing 911 calls. Other duties may be performed, if the technical standards in paragraph 60FF-6.005(1)(b), F.A.C., can be satisfied. All call takers shall be proficient in the use of PSAP equipment and basic 911 call handling, operations and techniques in technical standard paragraph 60FF-6.005(9)(b), F.A.C., and know how to respond in the event of an equipment emergency.
(b) Each 911 call taker shall receive both audible and visual indications of an incoming 911 call. Each call taker position shall have access to all incoming 911 lines, outgoing dedicated lines, tie-lines, and dial-out lines.
(c) Each county shall maintain a minimum of one non-published number to handle incoming emergency calls from service provider operators and as an alternative number for routing overflow calls. Line(s) should terminate in the PSAP answering equipment and shall be used for operator emergency transfers or emergency transfers from other counties.
(d) Each call taker position shall be equipped with Teletypewriters (TTYs), or equivalent equipment functionality. Upon hearing nothing or a musical acoustic sound or an automatic voice message, the 911 line shall be connected to the TTY to ensure that no TTY calls are missed.
(e) Each call taker shall have access to the standard operating procedures.
(4) Emergency Operations.
(a) Each county 911 coordinator shall develop an E911 Emergency Operations Plan designed to limit the impact of system failures and expedite the restoration of E911 service. Enhanced 911 systems shall include provisions for back-up to which 911 calls can be routed in the event of failure of a Primary PSAP.
(b) All counties shall have established alternate routes in place to ensure continuance of operations for all 911 services provisioning.
(c) All counties shall have established reroute plans in place to ensure continuity of operations.
(5) Operations.
(a) If there have been no 911 calls received for an extended time interval, a test 911 call shall be made to ensure that the system is operational. This shall be done at least once every 8 hours, if no calls have been received.
(b) With a transferred call, the caller must never be procedurally required to talk with more than two people: the primary PSAP 911 call taker and the call taker at the remote agency. There shall be no inherent double transfers.
1. All 911 calls transferred by a PSAP must be identified at the receiving point as an emergency 911 call.
2. With a transferred call, the call taker shall inform the caller that the call is about to be transferred.
(3) The PSAP transferring the 911 call must stay on the line until the receiving agency answers and accuracy of the transfer is ascertained.
(c) Each call taker shall complete a Trouble Report/Inquiry Form for every 911 call that experienced problems (ANI failures, database errors, etc.). These trouble reports shall be routed to the county 911 coordinator. Enhanced 911 systems shall include a proactive program to identify database errors, which shall continuously monitor and maintain a record of database accuracy. Call takers shall provide information about erroneous location information provided on the ALI screen and any corrections provided by the caller. County 911 coordinators shall establish a standard trouble reporting form and ensure that 911 trouble reports are consistently completed and shall submit these reports to the appropriate service provider(s) for resolution. With a Type 5 E911 system, the county 911 coordinator shall perform both functions.
(d) The 911 call takers shall not refer citizens to a directory of services or provide contact information on emergency calls.
(6) Security.
(a) All PSAPs, 911 equipment and data shall be secured to prevent access by the unauthorized persons. Each PSAP shall have sufficient building security to minimize the possibility of intentional disruption of operations. All E911 processing and control equipment shall be in a locked, environmentally-conditioned area accessible only to authorized personnel. Answering equipment shall be accessible only to PSAP personnel. Display and printing equipment shall be located so that the information is limited to agency authorized personnel.
(b) The PSAP shall not be visible from outside the building and shall not be visible from unsecured areas inside the building, unless it is located in the secured entry point of the jail facility in the sheriff’s office.
(c) The PSAP shall be configured to provide a physical barrier from floor to ceiling separating unsecured areas from all 911 personnel required to interact with the public. There shall be no openings in the barrier other than a louvered opening for voice communications. Glass shall be of a heavy-duty, bulletproof type. A pass through drawer shall be used for transfer of documents.
(d) All doors shall be lock-controlled from the inside and be kept closed. If combination locks (rotary or push button) are used, access to the combinations shall be controlled by the PSAP supervisor. Such combinations shall be changed periodically on a schedule to be determined by the PSAP supervisor based on their standard operating procedures.
(e) All exposed 911 circuits inside the building and facilities serving the 911 PSAP shall be protected and marked to prevent damage or tampering.
(7) Alarms/Auto Dialers.
(a) Alarm circuits shall not be routed to a 911 system, and no auto dialer shall be used, unless two-way voice communication is possible. Automatic dialers must provide two-way voice communications and be capable of forced disconnection by the PSAP.
(b) There shall be no burglar alarms or elevator telephones terminated in 911 trunks.
(8) Maintenance and Testing.
(a) The PSAP E911 systems shall be maintained in operable working condition. Testing shall be conducted periodically on critical functions of all call taking equipment including TTY equipment operation.
(b) Routine and emergency maintenance shall be provided for all E911 systems. Where maintenance is provided by county personnel, they shall be trained and qualified in trouble analysis and repair of E911 systems. Where maintenance is provided by a vendor, a written contract containing a guarantee of performance including vendor response time and maximum system downtime is required.
(c) TTY equipment operation shall be tested a minimum of twice weekly during each shift. TTY equipment operation shall be conducted with random TTY test calls with both silent, open-line calls in which no tones are emitted and calls where the caller introduces the call by transmitting TTY tones. All tests shall be documented.
(d) Each PSAP shall have telephone numbers displayed and readily available for reporting failures in all 911 systems to service providers and county maintenance personnel. All PSAPs shall require equipment vendors and service providers to provide emergency trouble reporting telephone numbers that are staffed and answered 24-hours per day, 7 days per week.
(9) Training and Standard Operating Procedures
(a) Counties shall include specified training standards in their standard operating procedures. These SOP shall include classroom and on-the-job instruction and training course content required for 911 public safety telecommunicators.
Rulemaking Authority 365.171(4) FS. Law Implemented 365.171(4), (10) FS. History–New________,