U.S. Senator Calls for Increased Security of 911 Emergency Infrastructure
U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., is urging DHS and the FCC to develop a comprehensive plan to beef up outdated 911 call centers in New York state that could be open to terrorist and cyberattacks.
“Our 911 emergency call centers are cornerstones of our public safety system and critical infrastructure, and our dispatchers save countless lives by answering the call every day. But outdated infrastructure has enabled a potentially fatal flaw in this system – the fact that our dispatch centers could be prevented from answering the call that saves a life because they are susceptible to cyber hackers and terrorists overwhelming the system,” said Schumer. “It’s not new that our system is vulnerable, but it is shocking we have not acted more forcefully to protect it. Simply put, our country’s critical infrastructure, like 911, is still far too vulnerable to would-be evil-doers and we must do more – and fast – to ward off this metastasizing threat. That’s why I’m urging DHS and the FCC to put their heads together and work hand-in-hand with local communities to develop a comprehensive plan to strengthen our infrastructure, so we can avoid system-wide chaos before it is too late and let our 911 centers focus on their important work of saving lives.”