California Next Generation 911: What to know

“They tested [on] our lives,” a recently retired dispatcher told NBC Bay Area. “We never had so many failures.”

Some of the first 911 dispatchers to use California’s new Next Generation 911 network say the state deployed a problematic, unfinished system and it put people’s lives in danger. More than a year of digging by our NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit uncovers years-worth of warnings about the project and 911 emergencies where help was delayed because of connectivity issues.

Next Gen 911 is the California Office of Emergency Service’s (Cal OES) project to upgrade the state’s landline-designed 911 technology to an internet-based system. It’s supposed to connect 911 centers like never before, but things aren’t going as planned, according to interviews with multiple sources and a review of 911 center documents obtained through public records requests. Dispatchers report experiencing lost calls and misrouted calls from other counties. In one case, callers were unable to call 911 for 12 hours.

With the project years behind schedule and already costing Californians nearly a half-billion dollars, state leaders still intended to ramp up deployment of Next Gen 911 statewide, including in big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. They insisted things were on track, and when asked if the new network is safe right now, Cal OES told the Investigative Unit it won’t deploy the system until it is. But Cal OES did deploy the problematic system – in smaller, rural areas across the state.

“It is a project that cannot fail,” the agency said. “It will be worthwhile.”

In August 2024, after NBC Bay Area started asking questions, Cal OES parted ways with the man behind project.

In November 2024, the first NBC Bay Area investigations resulted in California immediately suspending Next Gen 911 deployment statewide and board members investigating whether they were misled when Cal OES failed to inform them of problems before our news reports.

Part 1: California's 'disastrous' Next Gen 911 rollout delaying life-saving help, records show

CA's ‘disastrous' Next Gen 911 rollout delaying life-saving help, records show

California's massive overhaul of its aging, landline-based emergency call system is years behind schedule and has been plagued by safety issues, sources and documents report. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 2: 'Lives are at stake': Next Gen 911 insiders say CA hired inexperienced companies

Next Gen 911 insiders say California hired inexperienced companies

After years of missed deadlines and documented safety issues surrounding the rollout of California’s Next Generation 911 system, project insiders are now speaking out, saying they feel compelled to warn the public about “major problems." Candice Nguyen has the details.

Part 3: State official ‘blindsided’ by Next Gen 911 safety concerns in NBC Bay Area reports

A State 911 Advisory Board member said he was blindsided by serious public safety concerns regarding California’s Next Generation 911 project recently exposed in an NBC Bay Area investigation, noting the board has largely been kept in the dark about the extent of those issues by the state and its contractors. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 4: CA suspends Next Gen 911 rollout, state advisors demand answers on safety issues

California suspends Next Gen 911 rollout

The State 911 Advisory Board was left wondering why they were never informed about some of the issues exposed in the report. They are now demanding more transparency from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Candice Nguyen has the details.

Part 5: New emergency call and outage problems with CA's Next Generation 911 system

New emergency call and outage problems with CA's Next Generation 911 project

Another 911 center using California’s new Next Generation 911 network reported busy signals and a 6-hour outage just months ago, according to records obtained by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 6: ‘We're watching': Lawmaker seeks answers on Next Gen 911 problems from Cal OES

Lawmaker seeks answers on Next Gen 911 problems, delays from Cal OES

A California state senator is calling for answers regarding the state's new Next Generation 911 network following a series of reports from NBC Bay Area exposing major safety concerns and significant delays with the system’s rollout. Investigative Reporter Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 7: New Cal OES leadership charts path for Next Gen 911 system as rollout remains on hold

New leadership charts path for Next Gen 911 system as rollout remains on hold

Three months after the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) paused the deployment of its Next Generation 911 system over concerns the technology was prone to failures that put public safety at risk, new leadership within the agency laid out plans Wednesday to move the problematic and delayed system forward. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 8: Cal OES, contractor failed to thoroughly test Next Gen 911 network before deploying to handle real calls: sources say

Cal OES, contractor failed to thoroughly test Next Gen 911 network before deploying: sources say

Two high-level project insiders have come forward with allegations the company NGA and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) failed to thoroughly test the state’s new digital 911 network end-to-end before deploying the system to handle real 911 calls. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 9: Contractor on troubled CA Next Gen 911 project faces similar problems in other states

As California’s Next Generation 911 project remains on hold in the face of project delays and technical difficulties, government records show Los Angeles-based contractor NGA has had technical issues and missed deadlines in several other states building Next Gen networks. Candice Nguyen reports.

Want to reach out to Candice Nguyen about this report or another tip? E-mail candice.nguyen@nbcuni.com

CA 911: Too Big to Fail

More than a year of digging by our NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit uncovers early warnings about California's Next Generation 911 network and emergencies where help was delayed because of connectivity issues.

By Candice Nguyen, Michael Bott, Jeremy Carroll and Robbie Beasom Published November 14, 2024 • Updated on March 14, 2025 at 2:18 pm