NIST, Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Public Safety Communications First Responder Survey

Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Welcome to the Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology
Help us get requirements for public safety technology right! This is your chance to tell us what works,
what doesn't, and what technology you think would be useful for incident response communications.
NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is conducting this survey. Our goals are to
identify:
1. technology currently used for communication;
2. problems experienced with this technology;
3. other kinds of technology that may be helpful for communication in public safety in the future.
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete.
Please share the survey link with others you know in public safety, the more folks we hear from the
better. www.XXXX.nist.gov
We appreciate your time and input!

Your Participation is Confidential and Voluntary
All data are de-identified. No personally identifiable information (PII) is collected or associated in any
way with your survey responses. Your participation is voluntary and you may choose to quit the survey at
any time.
This collection of information contains Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirements approved by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection
of information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless that collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to be
20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Attn: Mary
Theofanos, maryt@nist.gov, (301) 975-5889. OMB Control No. 0693-0043, Expiration Date: 12-31-2018.

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Demographics

1. How many years have you been working in public safety? (Total years of service,
regardless of changing positions or departments.)

2. Do you consider the area you currently work in as MAINLY:
Rural
Suburban
Tribal
Urban

3. Zip Code where you currently work. (We know that some agencies cover
different zip code areas; please list the zip code where your agency/station is
actually located.)

4. State where you currently work

5. Sex
Male
Female

6. Age

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7. Do you MAINLY work in:
9-1-1/Dispatch
EMS
Fire Fighting
Law Enforcement

8. Are you civilian or deputized?
Civilian
Deputized

9. What is your title?

10. What is your jurisdictional level?
Local
County
State
Federal
Tribal

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Call center information

11. What does your call center dispatch for? (Check all that apply.)
EMS
Fire
Police

12. Can your call center receive 9-1-1 text messages from the public?
No
Yes
Not sure

13. Do you think this is/would be beneficial for your job?
No
Yes
Not sure

14. List the pros and cons of receiving 9-1-1 text messages from the public.

15. Can your call center receive pictures and/or video from the public?
No
Yes
Not sure

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16. Do you think this is/would be beneficial for your job?
No
Yes
Not sure

17. List the pros and cons of receiving pictures and/or videos from the public.

18. Does your call center audio-record calls?
No
Yes
Not sure

19. If yes, does your call center have problems with data storage?
No
Yes
Not sure

20. If yes, does your call center have problems with data retrieval?
No
Yes
Not sure

21. Has 9-1-1 ever gone down in your call center?
No
Yes
Not sure

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22. If yes, what caused 9-1-1 to go down?

23. What did your call center do while 9-1-1 was down?

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Use of technology in your DAY-TO-DAY work
We know there is no such thing as a "typical" day in public safety. However, for this set of questions, focus
on the kinds of things you use in your day-to-day work.

24. Think about your DAY-TO-DAY work and your use of the following devices.
Use a lot

Use occasionally

Have but do not use

Do not have

Computer:
desktop
Foot pedal
Headset
Microphone:
desktop
Microphone:
handheld or clipon
Monitor (at your
personal
workstation)
Monitor (for
shared viewing)
Phone: landline
Radio
Smartphone:
personal
Smartphone: work
issued
Other (please specify)

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25. How many monitors do you have at your personal work station?

26. How many monitors do you have for shared viewing in your call center?

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1

27. Think about your DAY-TO-DAY work and your use of the
following applications/software.
Use a lot

Use occasionally

Have but do not use

Do not have

CAD (computeraided dispatch)
Criminal
databases
Electronic
policies/laws
Email
Emergency
notification
system (for
informing the
public)
First responder
vehicle tracking
Language
translation
Mapping/driving
directions
RMS (records
management
system)
Traffic
Weather
Other (please specify)

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1

28. Which of the items below would also be useful for your DAY-TO-DAY work.
Check all that apply.
AR (augmented reality)
Automatic caller location
Facial recognition software
First responder tracking
Indoor mapping
One login (instead of many different usernames and passwords)
Real-time on-scene video
Smart watch
Voice controls for hands-free input
VR (virtual reality)
None of the above
Other (please specify)

29. Have you ever heard of Next Generation 9-1-1?
No
Yes
Not sure

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30. Next Generation 9-1-1 is a system that will allow the public to send texts,
pictures, and video to 9-1-1 call centers. Do you think this will help you in your
job?
No
Yes
Not sure

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Information Problems

31. We know you rely on accurate information to do your job. Looking at the list
below, how often do you experience problems with:
Most of the
Always

time

Does not
Sometimes

Rarely

Never

apply

Callers: inaccurate
or missing
information
Cell phones:
inability to
accurately track
caller location
Information
overload: too
many calls at once
Information
overload: too
much information
to monitor at once
Maps/databases:
missing or
inaccurate
information
Other (please specify)

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Use of technology in a MAJOR DISASTER.
The next set of questions focus on your use of technology during major disasters, natural or man-made.

32. Have you ever worked in a communications center during a MAJOR
DISASTER, something that disrupts your day-to-day operations? For example, an
earthquake, hurricane, or active shooter situation.
No
Yes

33. Have you ever worked in a communications center during a LARGE, PLANNED
EVENT? For example, a concert, football game, or parade.
No
Yes

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1

34. Think about the technology you use during a MAJOR DISASTER . How similar
or different is it than the technology you use during your day-to-day work?
I use mostly the same technology.
I use some of the same technology, with some specialized technology.
I use very different technology.

35. Please list the specialized technology you use during a MAJOR DISASTER.

36. Please list the most important technology you use during a MAJOR DISASTER .

37. In addition to the technology you use day-to-day, which of the following do you
think would be helpful during a MAJOR DISASTER ? Check all that apply.
Deployable communication technology (such as cell towers on wheels)
Drones
Generators
Mobile command centers
Other (please specify)

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
Use of technology in a LARGE, PLANNED EVENT.
The next set of questions focus on your use of technology during a LARGE, PLANNED EVENT.

38. Think about the technology you use during a LARGE, PLANNED EVENT . How
similar or different is it to the technology you use during your day-to-day work?
I use mostly the same technology.
I use some of the same technology, with some specialized technology.
I use different technology.

39. Please list the specialized technology you use during a LARGE, PLANNED
EVENT.

40. Please list the most important technology you use during a LARGE, PLANNED
EVENT.

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41. In addition to the technology you use day-to-day, which of the following do you
think would be helpful during a LARGE, PLANNED EVENT ?
Deployable communication technology (such as cell towers on wheels)
Drones
Generators
Mobile command centers
Other (please specify)

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1
VR (Virtual Reality)
These questions ask you to think about the use of VR (virtual reality) in your work.

42. Do you think VR (virtual reality) would be useful for training in your work?
No
Yes
Not sure

43. Do you see VR as useful in other ways for your work?
No
Yes
Not sure

44. Please explain.

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1

45. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience with
technology in your work?

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Public Safety Survey on Communication Technology: 9-1-1

Thank you for taking the survey!

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