Letter: Fire and police chiefs urge support of 911 funding in California

There is no greater responsibility in all of government than public safety and the public’s lifeline is the 9-1-1 system.

Every single day, people rely on 9-1-1 to connect with police, fire and EMS responders. For shooting events, wildfires, and even last year’s Oroville Dam incident, 9-1-1 call centers are regularly overwhelmed with calls from the public
requiring assistance. Unfortunately, an increasing reliance on cell phones and reduced “landline” usage is threatening the future of 9-1-1 services.

When the fee structure funding California’s current 9-1-1 system was established in 1973, Californians only had landline phones and a fee on those landlines that funded the creation and continuing operation of the 9-1-1 system. Neither cell
phones nor the concept of communicating through text or data existed. Now that Californians are transitioning off of landlines and cell phones/smart phones have become the primary mode of communication, the fee structure to fund California’s 9-1-1 system must be changed to reflect our society’s reliance on cell phone technology.

In South Lake Tahoe, the total number of landline phones over the last 10 years is down by 39.26 percent. Since South Lake Tahoe is one of only 7 cities in California with a local 9-1-1 service fee, we were able to increase the fee from $1.61 to $2.65 per line to off-set revenue shortfalls. Ultimately, by raising the landline fees, we place the burden for the 9-1-1 system on landline users while cell phone users benefit without sharing in the costs.

Statewide, 9-1-1 revenue is down from $108 million in 2008 to $69.9 million this year—a 35.3 percent drop over the last ten years. This reduction is directly connected to landlines and more cell phones. While funding has diminished, the costs of keeping the aging 9-1-1 system going has increased. Without intervening, we are on a path toward 9-1-1 system failure for lack of proper funding.

AB 1836/SB 870 updates the fee structure to include cell phone technology and provides the necessary support for California’s critical 9-1-1 system. This updated fee structure will also allow for modernizing our state’s system to NextGeneration 9-1-1, which will allow for text and video-to-9-1-1 and provide multi-layered redundancy which means that 9-1-1 calls can be automatically re-routed to neighboring jurisdictions if a 9-1-1 call center is overwhelmed, damaged or evacuated.

California’s 9-1-1 call centers took in over 28 million calls in 2017. To remain current and ensure for future sustainability, the 9-1-1 system must be modernized. By failing to update the fee structure that funds California’s 9-1-1 system, the ability for the system to meet current and future demands is threatened.

Individuals and businesses may be unable to receive lifesaving support when they need it most. Schools may lose critical minutes during an emergency in the classroom and people may be unable to seek assistance or directions on evacuations in the path of a significant wildfire or major earthquake.

Since the primary responsibility of government is to ensure for public safety, the government needs the ability to remain current and responsive. In the case of our 9-1-1 system, that means changing the way it funds the public’s lifeline now
and for the future.

We urge support for AB 1836/SB 870 which provides critically needed funding for 9-1-1.