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Lawmakers Press Cal OES on Troubled NG911 Rollout as State Pivots to Single-Vendor Plan

Oversight escalates via a Senate reporting mandate plus an Assembly hearing focused on costs, accountability and timelines.

Overview

  • Cal OES confirmed it will terminate NGA 911’s contract effective April 10 and posted documents alleging the company was paid over $110 million and still seeks full payments despite service problems.
  • Following months of outages, dropped and misrouted calls tied to NGA technology, Cal OES paused the regional rollout and is advocating a statewide single-vendor approach.
  • State senators advanced the Fix 911 Act to require quarterly progress reports, and Assembly members questioned Cal OES and vendors at a public hearing on the project’s failures and next steps.
  • Cal OES has not identified a replacement vendor or final price for the new approach, and officials could not provide a definitive budget as lawmakers weigh tighter oversight.
  • Only about 5% of dispatch centers are taking calls on the new network, vendors urged sticking with the regional model, and NGA’s CEO disputed the state’s characterizations while pledging reliable service.