(a) The authority shall have the duty and responsibility to:(a) Develop and adopt an annual budget for implementation, management, upgrades, deployments, and operations consistent with the State NG911 Plan. Such plan must be submitted to and approved by the Legislative Budget Office;(b) Apply for, receive, and use federal grants, state grants or both;(c) Study, evaluate and establish technology standards for regional and statewide provision of a public safety communications network and NG911 systems;(d) Review and revise technology standards based on orders and rulings by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC);(e) Identify and recommend any changes necessary to accomplish a more effective, efficient and sustainable emergency communication service across the state, including consolidation and interoperability of PSAPs and/or 911 systems, recommending a long-term plan for standardization of operational processes and training, recommending any necessary legislation to implement the long-term strategic State NG911 Plan, and reporting its recommendations to the Legislature. The authority shall also make its report of such proposed changes available to the Legislative Services Offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives;(f) Identify and recommend any changes necessary in the assessment and collection of emergency communication service charges and provide a report to the Legislature. The authority shall also make its report of such changes available to the Legislative Services Office of the Senate and the House of Representatives;(g) Develop, offer or make recommendations to the Mississippi Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and Training according to Section 19-5-351 and other state agencies about standardized training that should be provided to telecommunicators, trainers, supervisors and directors of Public Safety Answering Points;(h) Recommend minimum standards for the operation of public safety answering points, develop and implement an internal quality assurance program and monitor local and regional PSAP compliance with technical and operational standards, requirements and practices;(i) Collect data regarding the performance and operation of public safety answering points and coordinate with ECDs to provide technical assistance when requested;(j) Identify any necessary changes or enhancements to the State NG911;(k) Establish policies and procedures to develop and implement a plan to provide NG911 services statewide;(l) Investigate Geographical Information Systems Standards and mapping and incorporate them, as well as other resources, into the State NG911 Plan;(m) Address any adverse findings noted in ECD financial and program reports and to order such action as may be necessary to remedy the adverse findings. Such remedies may include, but not be limited to, withholding transfers from the Emergency Communication Public Safety Trust Fund; and(n) Develop a CMRS Implementation Grant Program to provide the State NG911 Fund and ECDs competitive grants for NG911 implementation consistent with the State NG911 Plan and an approved ECD NG911 plan. The authority shall develop a scoring system for ECD applications based on completeness of application, number of businesses and residences served, geographic area served by the ECD, efficiency of operations and achievement of consolidation of PSAPs. The scoring shall seek to promote a reduction of statewide PSAPs. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds available in the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund shall be used for grant programs and amounts awarded to ECDs shall be transferred to the ECD’s NG911 Implementation Fund for the purposes stated in Section 19-5-411.
(a) Develop and adopt an annual budget for implementation, management, upgrades, deployments, and operations consistent with the State NG911 Plan. Such plan must be submitted to and approved by the Legislative Budget Office;
(b) Apply for, receive, and use federal grants, state grants or both;
(c) Study, evaluate and establish technology standards for regional and statewide provision of a public safety communications network and NG911 systems;
(d) Review and revise technology standards based on orders and rulings by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC);
(e) Identify and recommend any changes necessary to accomplish a more effective, efficient and sustainable emergency communication service across the state, including consolidation and interoperability of PSAPs and/or 911 systems, recommending a long-term plan for standardization of operational processes and training, recommending any necessary legislation to implement the long-term strategic State NG911 Plan, and reporting its recommendations to the Legislature. The authority shall also make its report of such proposed changes available to the Legislative Services Offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
(f) Identify and recommend any changes necessary in the assessment and collection of emergency communication service charges and provide a report to the Legislature. The authority shall also make its report of such changes available to the Legislative Services Office of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
(g) Develop, offer or make recommendations to the Mississippi Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and Training according to Section 19-5-351 and other state agencies about standardized training that should be provided to telecommunicators, trainers, supervisors and directors of Public Safety Answering Points;
(h) Recommend minimum standards for the operation of public safety answering points, develop and implement an internal quality assurance program and monitor local and regional PSAP compliance with technical and operational standards, requirements and practices;
(i) Collect data regarding the performance and operation of public safety answering points and coordinate with ECDs to provide technical assistance when requested;
(j) Identify any necessary changes or enhancements to the State NG911;
(k) Establish policies and procedures to develop and implement a plan to provide NG911 services statewide;
(l) Investigate Geographical Information Systems Standards and mapping and incorporate them, as well as other resources, into the State NG911 Plan;
(m) Address any adverse findings noted in ECD financial and program reports and to order such action as may be necessary to remedy the adverse findings. Such remedies may include, but not be limited to, withholding transfers from the Emergency Communication Public Safety Trust Fund; and
(n) Develop a CMRS Implementation Grant Program to provide the State NG911 Fund and ECDs competitive grants for NG911 implementation consistent with the State NG911 Plan and an approved ECD NG911 plan. The authority shall develop a scoring system for ECD applications based on completeness of application, number of businesses and residences served, geographic area served by the ECD, efficiency of operations and achievement of consolidation of PSAPs. The scoring shall seek to promote a reduction of statewide PSAPs. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds available in the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund shall be used for grant programs and amounts awarded to ECDs shall be transferred to the ECD’s NG911 Implementation Fund for the purposes stated in Section 19-5-411.