911 Program

GECA provides guidance to local governments in establishing new 911 systems through the publication and use of the Emergency Telephone Number Plan . This plan serves as a guideline for local governments to use in taking the necessary steps to develop and implement a 911 system. GECA reviews submitted plans to ensure that local governments have included the steps necessary to offer 911 service; and once a successful review is complete, GECA approves the local jurisdiction’s plan to offer 911 service. GECA does not regulate or audit the continued provision of 911 service, nor prescribe how those systems are specifically operated (operating policy, call processing procedures, customer premise equipment selection, personnel, training, etc.) at the local 911 PSAP. (Reference: O.C.G.A. § 46-5-124 and 46-5-127)

GECA also maintains a database of registered telephone service suppliers (updated 8/21/2023) doing business within the State of Georgia ; as well as tracks the status of wireline 911 service and wireless 911 service within the state. Service Suppliers, please use the GECA Service Supplier Registration Form for registration due on January 1, 2019. If there are any changes to the registration form, submit a new form within 60 days to be in compliance with O.C.G.A. § 46-5-124.1. If you do not submit a new form with the proper information, you shall not be eligible to recive cost recovery funds, be subject to a fine by the Authority in the amount of $1,000 per day for each day of failure to comply, and not be subject to the three-year limit on audits.

Levels of 911 Service

Service

Service Description

Basic 911

Routes a 911 call to the appropriate 911 public safety answering point (PSAP) serving the jurisdiction associated with the caller's location.

Enhanced 911 (E911)

Routes a 911 call to the appropriate 911 PSAP serving the jurisdiction associated with the caller's location; and, provides the 911 PSAP personnel with the caller's phone number and location. 911 calls from fixed locations (residences, businesses, etc.) using a landline telephone connection typically display the address of the fixed location as the point of origin of the 911 call.

E911 Wireless Phase I

Routes a 911 call to the appropriate 911 PSAP serving the jurisdiction associated with the caller's location; and, provides the 911 PSAP personnel with the caller's phone number and the location of the cell site or base station transmitting the call.

E911 Wireless Phase II

Routes a 911 call to the appropriate 9-1-1 PSAP serving the jurisdiction associated with the caller's location; and, provides the 911 PSAP personnel with the caller's phone number and the caller’s location (latitude and longitude) to within 50 to 300 meters, depending on the type of technology used.

Next Generation 911 (NG911)

Routes a 911 call to the appropriate 911 PSAP serving the jurisdiction associated with the caller's location; but, is also a future development of 911 technology based on Internet Protocol (IP) utilizing one or more emergency service IP networks (ESInets) that replicate traditional circuit-based features and provides additional capabilities, such as multimedia data.