Ebensburg, Pa – June 20, 2011 The 9-1-1 Resource Center, sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation, National 911 Program has a project underway to develop consensus-based universal guidelines to serve as the basis for a 9-1-1 statewide program assessment process. The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines are now available for public comment on the 9-1-1 Resource Center at www.911resourcecenter.org/911Guidelines/. Comments received will be considered prior to the release of the final guidelines.

The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines were developed by the National 9-1-1
Assessment Guidelines Work Group (NAGWG) using a consensus process. The
NAGWG is comprised of 9-1-1 professionals that represent various segments of 9-1-1 from local and state government, national associations and the industry.
The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines will serve as a comprehensive benchmark for statewide 9-1-1 systems to measure their progress as a unique and important entity, and will help to facilitate a coordinated effort to advance 9-1-1 across the country. The Guidelines represent high level functions that should exist within a statewide 9-1-1 system. They are intended to be used as the basis for statewide system assessments to assist states in achieving their best level of 9-1-1 service.

Any assessment process that is established will be conducted on a voluntary basis. An assessment will be useful to evaluate where a state’s system currently stands, provide recommendations for enhancement and identify the need for resources to bridge gaps.

Interested parties may provide comments using the comment form found at www.911resourcecenter.org/911Guidelines/. The comment form should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] The comment period will remain open until September, 26, 2011.

The 911 Resource Center serves the 9-1-1 community through three key initiatives, an information clearinghouse, a technical and operational assistance center for state and local 9-1-1 authorities and a national 9-1-1 profile database for compiling information that can be used to measure and report on the progress of 9-1-1. The 911 Resource Center, produced in partnership with 911.gov, is operated by L.R. Kimball, a CDI Company under cooperative agreement DTNH22-08-H-00224 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and supported by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).

L. R. Kimball is among the nation’s leading professional service companies offering its clients architectural and structural design services, civil and environmental engineering expertise, communications technology solutions and consulting. L.R. Kimball is a CDI Company (NYSE:CDI), a leading provider of engineering and information technology outsourcing solutions and professional staffing. Visit www.lrkimball.com.

NENA serves the public safety community as the only professional organization solely focused on 9-1-1 policy, technology, operations, and education issues. With more than 7,000 members in 48 chapters across the United States and around the globe, NENA promotes the implementation and awareness of 9-1-1 and international three-digit emergency communications systems. Find out more at www.nena.org.