A BAPCO White Paper - Next Generation 999

The UK is justifiably proud of its 999 service. The world moves on though, never more so than in the field of technology. With every new device, app and feature, the public has ever greater expectations that our emergency services and their supporting ecosystem will make full use of the best technology and information available to keep us safe and to answer calls for help.

We know the reality does not match those expectations. New features and functionality cost time and money and join an ever-growing list of competing priorities. This is as true for BT as it is for the emergency services. One of BAPCO’s roles is to run the 999 App Accreditation Scheme on behalf of the UK’s 999 Liaison Committee, and we see apps emerging that have real potential benefit for the emergency services and for public safety providers. However, these cannot progress into the 999 system because as of today, BT can generally handle only voice calls and a limited number of messages via SMS.
There are times when those in need cannot make a voice call. On other occasions, valuable information could be available from the scene, but the caller has no option to communicate other than by voice.

To catalyse debate and discussion on the future of this critical service, the BAPCO NG999 event, part of the BAPCO Satellite Series, brought together industry, users and a range of other stakeholders to discuss the future of the 999 service, the choices, the challenges and the caveats. This paper seeks to summarise the discussions and form the basis for further debate and the development of what must be a robust project plan that will ultimately result in a comprehensive technology roadmap for NG999.