The North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) said the state’s Next Generation 911 (NextGen 911) system was able to withstand Hurricane Helene and continue to help residents throughout the storm and its aftermath.
“North Carolina’s Next Generation 911 system was put to an unprecedented test with the arrival of Hurricane Helene,” NCDIT said in a press release. “This storm was like no other our state had experienced before, but North Carolina’s modernized 911 network kept working during even the worst moments of Helene’s wrath.”
The NextGen 911 system connects all 124 public safety answering points (PSAPs) funded by the N.C. 911 Board, which is part of the NCDIT. The NextGen 911 system uses a digital emergency services internet protocol-based network that allows 911 calls to be rerouted from their local PSAP to other PSAPs across the state, along with other enhanced capabilities. NCDIT said that this rerouting capability allowed 911 calls to PSAPs impacted by the storm in western North Carolina to be answered by PSAPs in non-impacted areas.
“The statewide ESInet [Emergency Services IP Network] was a literal lifesaver during and after Hurricane Helene,” said L.V. Pokey Harris, executive director of the N.C. 911 Board. “Had the old technology and analog network still been in place, the infrastructure would have been destroyed and we would not have had the capability to route calls to other PSAPs and connect people to critical emergency services. Thanks to the resiliency and redundancy of this network, we had no reports of 911 calls not being delivered.”
Additionally, NCDIT said the state’s Network Monitoring and Assistance Center (NMAC) in Raleigh was vital throughout the storm. The department said this center is the first and only of its kind in the country. The center continuously monitors the service and performance of the statewide ESInet while coordinating efforts to ensure 911 calls are immediately and automatically rerouted based on predetermined route plans established by the PSAPs.
