Nov. 4, 2025
VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office notified Vernon County residents on Tuesday that the Sheriff’s Office 911 Communications Center has begun a two day transition to Next Generation 911. The transition to a new system is the culmination of a process over several years that involved multiple county departments (Sheriff’s Office, Land Information, Emergency Management, Information Technology) to assist with the installation of new hardware and software to get the system operational.
Vernon Sheriff Roy Torgerson said via social media the goal for this week is a seamless transition so that the very basic 911 service you have come to know and trust for the last 25 years is not interrupted. Torgerson said following that transition, his department will reveal the added features and enhanced capabilities with the new platform.
What NG911 Is and Why It Is Needed?
Next Generation 911 is vital because the current E9-1-1 system—which originated as a voice-only service in the 1960s and was later updated in the 1990s—was never designed to handle modern digital traffic. Wisconsin’s existing system has been described as a patchwork of locally administered Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), often leading to inefficiencies such as slow response times when calls require transferring between centers, or when callers must verbally provide location information.
Department of Military Affairs statements about the system says NG911 solves these critical problems by creating an “interoperable system compatible with current and emerging digital technologies”. NG911 enables the public to transmit text, images, video, and data to 911, beyond traditional voice calls.
The implementation process, therefore, has unfolded from legislative mandate and comprehensive planning, through vendor selection and contracting, to the critical current phase of engaging local PSAPs for network participation, equipment upgrades, and crucial GIS data standardization, culminating in the first PSAPs going live on the new digital backbone
Policy makers and state agencies made the case that a comprehensive statewide NG911 system is needed because it will:
• Improve response and location accuracy by leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) data to route calls more accurately and quickly.
• Provide equal access for all callers, including the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
• Resolve infrastructure limitations by creating a shared statewide network, thereby improving resilience, reducing downtime, and facilitating mutual aid collaborations.
• Facilitate crisis management by allowing PSAPs to re-route calls instantly during high volume periods, crises, or service outages, as was done during Hurricane Irene in Vermont after they implemented NG911.
The NG911 system relies on three key components: the Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet) (the statewide internet-based network), PSAP equipment (compatible call handling technology), and robust GIS data (for accurate call routing and location determination).
How NG911 Is Funded
The modernization of Wisconsin’s 911 infrastructure is primarily funded by the state through the police and fire protection (PFP) fund. This segregated fund is supported by two main public fees:
1. A portion of the monthly fee of $0.75 charged on each assigned telephone number (landline, wireless, and VoIP).
2. A portion of the $0.38 fee per transaction on prepaid wireless services.
The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) administers the state’s NG911 base budget, which annually totals $18,908,600 SEG (Segregated funds from the PFP fund). This base funding covers ESInet charges, NG911 implementation costs, PSAP grants, and grants for geographic information systems.
While the state pays for the NG911 network infrastructure (the ESInet), local units of government retain fiscal and administrative responsibility for PSAP operations. Local entities offset the cost of upgrading technology and equipment primarily through state and federal grant programs
The journey toward implementing NG911 in Wisconsin has been guided by a structure established by the legislature and overseen by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). The push for NG911 received clear statutory backing in 2017 with Wisconsin Act 59, which created the 9-1-1 Subcommittee under the State Interoperability Council to advise DMA on implementation. By 2019, state officials, recognizing the inadequacies of the patchwork E9-1-1 system, received authorization for over 19 million for the transition and secured a federal award of $2.9 million to assist local PSAPs with equipment upgrades. By May 2023, 86 PSAPs in 62 counties had signed participation agreements.
The ongoing progress of statewide implementation is publicly tracked, with the Wisconsin Office of Emergency Communications announcing that the NG911 Status Map was live in August 2024, providing weekly updates on ESInet project status and GIS data readiness across Wisconsin counties.
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