3. a. There is established in the Office of Information Technology an Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services.

b. The office shall be under the immediate supervision of a director, who shall be a person qualified by training and experience to direct the work of the office. The director shall administer the provisions of this act subject to review by the Chief Technology Officer and shall perform other duties as may be provided by law. The director shall be appointed by the Chief Technology Officer, but the commission shall advise the Chief Technology Officer on the qualifications of the director. The Chief Technology Officer is authorized to appoint, in accordance with Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, clerical, technical, and professional assistants, and also may designate any available personnel as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

The office shall designate a staff member from within the Office of Information Technology to be designated as a professional spectrum manager. The professional spectrum manager shall be responsible for approving all applications for public safety spectrum allocations in the State to ensure that the State fully complies with Federal Communications Commission rules that impact frequency allocation for public safety use. The spectrum manager may be chosen from among the current employees of the office and the chosen employee may continue the duties and responsibilities of their current position in addition to the duties and responsibilities of spectrum manager as provided in this section.

The office shall designate a staff member from within the Office of Information Technology to be designated the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator to coordinate interoperable communications grants and projects consistent with the National Communications Plan. The coordinator may be chosen from among the current employees of the office and the chosen employee may continue the duties and responsibilities of his current position in addition to the duties and responsibilities of coordinator as provided in this section.

The office shall, subject to review by the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, and in consultation with the council, the telephone companies, the Board of Public Utilities and the wireless telephone companies, and with the assistance of the Office of Information Technology in but not of the Department of the Treasury, continue to plan, design, implement, and coordinate the Statewide emergency enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system to be established pursuant to this act as well as any changes to that system needed to provide wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service.

To this end, the office shall establish, after review and approval by the commission, in consultation with the council, a State plan for the emergency enhanced 9-1-1 system in this State, which plan shall include:

(1) The configuration of, and requirements for, the enhanced 9-1-1 network. The office with the approval of the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, in consultation with the council, only as provided herein, and assistance and advice of the Office of Information Technology in but not of the Department of the Treasury is empowered to enter into contracts for the provision of this network.

(2) The role and responsibilities of the counties and municipalities of the State in the implementation of the system, consistent with the provisions of this act, including a timetable for implementation.

(3) Technical and operational standards for the establishment of public safety answering points (PSAPs) which utilize enhanced 9-1-1 network features in accordance with the provisions of this act and in alignment with the Next Generation 9-1-1 Planning by the National 9-1-1 Office within the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those entities having responsibility for the creation and management of PSAPs shall conform to these standards in the design, implementation and operation of the PSAPs. These standards shall include provisions for the training and certification of call-takers and 9-1-1 first responder dispatchers or for the adoption of such a program.

The office, after review and approval by the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, in consultation with the council, only as provided herein, may update and revise the State plan from time to time.

The office may inspect each PSAP to determine if it meets the requirements of this act and the technical and operational standards established pursuant to this section. The office shall explore ways to maximize the reliability of the system.

The plan or any portion of it may be implemented by the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection b. of section 15 of this act.

The State plan shall require the consolidation of PSAPs as appropriate, consistent with revisions in the plan to upgrade the enhanced 9-1-1 system and shall condition the allocation of moneys dedicated for the operation of PSAPs on the merging and sharing of PSAP functions by municipalities, counties and the State Police, consistent with the revised plan. The Treasurer may establish, by regulation, a 9-1-1 call volume minimum that may be utilized as a factor in determining which PSAP functions are to be consolidated under the State plan.

The State plan shall limit the use of sworn law enforcement officers to provide dispatch services and the office shall condition the receipt of moneys dedicated for the operation of PSAPs on the limited use of sworn law enforcement officers, except for officers returning to active duty from an injury or other physical disability.

The office shall plan, implement and coordinate a Statewide public education program designed to generate public awareness at all levels of the emergency enhanced 9-1-1 system. Advertising and display of 9-1-1 shall be in accordance with standards established by the office. Advertising expenses may be defrayed from the moneys appropriated to the office.

c. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.125).

d. To this end, the office shall, subject to review and approval by the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, and in consultation with the council, develop a Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan, which shall include:

(1) the strategy to most effectively provide interoperability and coordinate public safety communications between and among State, county and municipal public safety agencies. The office shall submit recommendations and proposals, as appropriate, to the Regional Planning Committees to which the State is assigned by the Federal Communications Commission; and

(2) the role and responsibilities of the counties and municipalities of the State in the implementation of the New Jersey Interoperable Communications System, consistent with the National Communications Plan and the provisions of this act, including a timetable for implementation.

e. The office, after review and approval by the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, in consultation with the council, only as provided herein, may update and revise the State plan as needed. The plan or any portion of it may be implemented by the adoption of regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.).

f. The office, after review and approval by the commission and the Chief Technology Officer, only as provided herein, shall submit a report to the Senate Revenue, Finance and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee, or their successors, not later than February 15 of each year, concerning its progress in carrying out the provisions of this act and the expenditure of moneys appropriated thereto and appropriated for the purposes of installation of the Statewide enhanced 9-1-1 network and the New Jersey Interoperable Communications System.

L.1989, c.3, s.3; amended 1999, c.125, s.3; 2007, c.56, s.20; 2011, c.4, s.2; 2021, c.447, s.6.