The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) support the Fifth Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Federal Communications Commission on October 29, 2019. By adopting this Report and Order, the FCC will make it easier and faster to locate a wireless 9-1-1 caller in multistory building.

A three-meter z-axis metric not only provides emergency responders with actionable location information, but it also gives the public greater assurance that when they dial 9-1-1 from their cell phones, emergency responders can find them more quickly.

We also applaud the Commission’s decision to create a Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This forward-looking FNPRM illustrates the Commission’s dedication to keeping the public safe with better 9-1-1 caller location accuracy. The draft Report and Order represents the culmination of many years of dedicated work to achieve a three-meter z-axis metric, and we look forward to supporting its full implementation.

###