MARC Home Page > Public Safety Home Page

Wireless Accuracy Testing Program

The purpose of the wireless accuracy testing program — which is an objective in the current regional public safety communications strategic plan — is to improve the accuracy of location data received from wireless service providers during an emergency call. When accurate location information is transmitted with a wireless 9-1-1 call, emergency responders can provide assistance to 9-1-1 callers more quickly.

Public safety communications technicians regularly perform test 9-1-1 calls using cell phones from the six major wireless service providers (AT&T, Cricket, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) in the Kansas City region.

Technicians travel throughout the nine counties — Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Platte, Ray and Wyandotte — making wireless accuracy testing calls. The data received by the 9-1-1 call center or public safety answering point (PSAP) is collected and later compared with the GPS coordinates of the technician's actual location when the call was placed.

Wireless accuracy testing is an ongoing project. Test calls are made throughout the year; however, testing is not performed during periods of high call volume. The FCC’s OET Bulletin 71 has more information on the guidelines for testing and verifying the accuracy of wireless E911 location systems.

Contact Hassan Al-Rubaie, public safety communications technician, for more information on MARC Public Safety's Wireless Accuracy Testing Program.