New York, NY – November 25, 2024 – During today’s Committee on Technology hearing, Council Member and Chair Jennifer Gutiérrez and Vickie Paladino expressed concern over the lack of substantive responses from the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) on key issues regarding Next Generation 911 (NG911) and LinkNYC implementation.
“Despite having received some of the committee’s questions in advance, OTI’s representative appeared unprepared to address the critical components of both initiatives,” said Council Member Gutiérrez. “It’s disheartening to hear that while OTI is responsible for the technical framework, and general “innovation” in NYC, they defer to NYPD and the third-party franchise company for operational implementation, leaving glaring accountability gaps.”
In addition to NG911, concerns were raised regarding OTI’s role in advancing public awareness campaigns. While OTI offered to explore public education initiatives on NG911 capabilities, no concrete plans were presented.
“Emergency services must be accessible to all New Yorkers, including those with limited English proficiency or disabilities. Today’s hearing highlighted the pressing need for a coordinated approach, stronger accountability, and transparency from OTI and NYPD to ensure these systems meet the needs of every resident,” added Gutiérrez. “Once again, I am asking OTI for their plans to be public.”
Key takeaways from the hearing include:
- NG911 Language Support: NG911 currently supports text-to-911 only in English and Spanish, relying on live interpreters for translating Spanish messages. Over 234,000 calls required translation services this year, with over 46,000 emergency texts sent. OTI failed to provide a breakdown of these communications by language—basic data critical for assessing service gaps.
- Implementation Timeline: Phase 1 of NG911 is slated for completion in December 2025, with Phase 2 focused on enhancements, such as multimedia text capabilities. However, these plans do not address the inclusion of additional languages or operational readiness.
- Location Data and Video Sharing: While OTI confirmed readiness to accept multimedia texts in the NG911 system, this feature is not currently operational due to carrier limitations, with only AT&T supporting multimedia text today and NYPD capacity.
- Lack of Consultation: Leading up to and during Phase 1, there were robust conversations with advocates and affected communities where but OTI confirmed that they do not have an advocate or consultant for the implementation phase. Advocates also testified that many expectations were set and many have not been addressed.
The Council will continue to push for greater clarity and urgency in implementing NG911 and accessibility technologies to serve New York City’s diverse population.
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