Ransom and other lawmakers have been calling for more oversight over California\u2019s Next Generation 911 project after state officials discovered that the modernized emergency call system, which cost $450 million and was built out between 2019 and 2025, wasn\u2019t going to work the way they wanted. Cal OES leaders decided to scrap the regional design<\/a> that was initially proposed, and the agency made plans to instead construct a statewide 911 system.<\/p>\n Calls for more oversight of the project have also come from the federal level, with the Federal Communications Commission requesting spending information<\/a> about the project.<\/p>\n In April, Cal OES signed<\/a> a 30-month, $194 million contract with Atos Public Safety, one of the vendors that served as the statewide backup provider for the now-scrapped regional 911 design, to keep providing services to emergency dispatchers that have already transitioned to the new system and to deploy the technology in more areas of the state.<\/p>\n Cal OES has maintained that this contract is necessary to prepare California\u2019s emergency communication systems for the influx of visitors expected for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics. The bridge contract will remain in effect, despite the changes to the budget bill.<\/p>\n Asked about the oversight measure in the budget bills, Cal OES spokesperson Anita Gore said in a statement that the agency was pleased to work with the Legislature to deliver a modern, safe, and reliable Next Generation 911 system.<\/p>\n \u201cThe budget agreement moves the project forward while enacting common sense actions to ensure ratepayer funds continue to be expended wisely and effectively,\u201d Gore said.<\/p>\n What\u2019s included in the budget language?<\/p>\n The calls for more oversight were bipartisan. Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, also presented a bill<\/a> this session that called for more legislative oversight over the 911 project. Strickland applauded the inclusion of elements of his legislation, which called for regular reports from Cal OES to the Legislature about the project, into the budget bill.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t make the same mistake that we made in the past,\u201d Strickland said in an interview. \u201cAnd we, as the Legislature, are an equal branch in government, so, I think it\u2019s very important for both accountability and transparency that we get this bill done.\u201d<\/p>\n The new requirements added to the budget include:<\/p>\n Cal OES will contract with the research organization RAND Corporation to conduct an independent technical evaluation of and recommendations for the Next Generation 911 project. The budget allocates $2 million for this effort.The budget includes $1 million for the California State Auditor to conduct an audit of the project.Starting October 2026, Cal OES is required to make quarterly reports to the chairs of the budget and emergency management committees.Cal OES\u2019 911 Advisory Board members will elect a board chair during the first meeting of the calendar year.<\/p>\n Is regional design still on the table?<\/p>\n Some of the vendors that built the regional design, which Cal OES has moved away from, were happy to see language in the budget bill that did not prevent the state from returning to its original plan for the 911 system.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Office of Emergency Services shall not take actions that would prevent the state from transitioning to a regional network in the future,\u201d the budget bill\u2019s latest iteration<\/a> reads.<\/p>\n Don Ferguson, the president of NGA, one of the vendors that built the regional design, said in a statement that his company welcomes the Legislature\u2019s decision to require an independent, technical evaluation and audit before spending more of taxpayers\u2019 money to rebuild the Next Generation 911 system.<\/p>\n Ferguson said that the regional systems the NGA built have continued to work effectively since 2024, despite Cal OES pausing implementation in favor of the statewide approach.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re confident in the technology and infrastructure we\u2019ve built for California, and equally confident that a rigorous, independent review of the performance data and completed work will support the regional system as a viable, and in key respects preferable, path forward,\u201d Ferguson said.<\/p>\n Another regional vendor, Synergem Technologies, Inc., echoed the need for an independent review of the Next Generation 911 system. Jeff Schlueter, Synergem\u2019s chief operating officer, said it was important for the state to conduct a technical analysis of the project before changing the direction of the system.<\/p>\n \u201cAn independent review gives everyone \u2014 state leadership, public safety agencies, and taxpayers \u2014 the opportunity to evaluate the facts before making a decision that will shape California\u2019s emergency communications system for years to come,\u201d Schlueter said in a statement.<\/p>\n Both Schlueter and Ferguson said their companies will fully support the technical analysis being conducted by RAND by offering investigators access to data, data, personnel and infrastructure for their assessment.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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