FCC Proposal To Help First Responders Locate 911 Callers In Multi-Story Buildings

The Federal Communications Commission proposed to help first responders more accurately locate people who make wireless 911 calls from multistory buildings. The proposal would assist 911 call centers in identifying the floor level where the 911 call occurred, which can reduce emergency response times and ultimately save lives. The FCC proposed a vertical (or “z-axis”) location accuracy metric of plus or minus three meters relative to the handset for 80% of indoor wireless 911 calls. The FCC tentatively concluded that such a location accuracy metric—within three meters above or below the phone—would be sufficiently accurate to identify the caller’s floor level in most cases and would be technically feasible under the timeframes established in the Commission’s Enhanced 911 rules.