The Government Accountability Office has called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop performance measures and goals for the National 911 program in order to assess how the initiative meets its mission in supporting the implementation of the Next Generation 911 system.
GAO said in a report publicly released Friday the roadmap for the NG911 system implementation should be supported with a plan that determines the responsibilities and roles of federal agencies in performing national-level tasks as well as an implementation strategy that states how such tasks would be carried out.
The NG911 system seeks to provide image, audio and video processing capabilities to facilitate response during emergencies.
The congressional watchdog made the recommendations after 18 states reported that they lack transition plans for the NG911 system.
Local and state officials identified challenges to NG911 implementation such as funding issues and governance as well as technological and operational changes, according to the report.
GAO also cited some of the actions initiated by NHTSA, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to address such implementation challenges.
Those include technical assistance, resource development and discussions with stakeholders to address NG-911-related issues.
