California’s ‘Next Generation 911’ project, aimed at modernizing its emergency system, faces delays until 2030.
CALIFORNIA, USA — California has spent more than half a billion dollars since 2019 to modernize the state’s 911 system, according to a new report from Cal OES, but the project is now expected to take years longer than originally planned.
The work was supposed to be finished by the end of last year. The new goal for completion is 2030.
ABC10 has previously reported on the spending and delays tied to the project, and on Tuesday, a committee of state lawmakers held an oversight hearing on the state’s “Next Generation 911” system.
Cal OES paused the rollout early last year after running into issues with its regional approach. The agency is now working on a single statewide provider.
The goal of the project is to bring California’s 911 system into the digital age.
“NextGen 911 will allow emergency call centers to receive voice calls, text messages, images and video from callers, and these capabilities significantly improve situational awareness for responders and dispatchers, allowing them to better understand and respond to emergencies,” said Steve Yarbrough, Cal OES deputy director of Public Safety Communications.
Democratic Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Oxnard) is pushing for tighter oversight as the work continues.
“911 is important, and with the Olympics coming, it’s so important – we cannot blow this. We cannot blow this transition…We need closer oversight,” he said.
Republican State Senator Tony Strickland is working to improve that oversight and authored a bill that would require Cal OES to provide quarterly reports to the Legislature on the development, implementation and spending tied to the Next Generation 911 system.
The bill cleared committee Tuesday with bipartisan support.
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