Interview with Brandon Abley

1) Tell us something about your career journey or personal experiences that isn’t included in your official bio.

It may sound odd, but the most important thing that affected my career was when I was mugged as a food delivery driver at age 19. I was studying music theory at the time, had dim career prospects, and needed the money. Of course, I quit that job, and it led to another job servicing radios for the National Park Service, which led to my interest in engineering and public safety communications. Had that crime never happened, I might never have discovered an important and rewarding career in public safety technology.

2) What are the most significant technological advancements you’ve seen in emergency communications over the past few years, and how have they impacted first responders?

One of the most important developments has been that U.S. regulatory bodies—primarily the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—have embraced standards-based Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies. We now have FCC rules requiring 9-1-1 authorities and originating service providers to migrate to NG9-1-1 under a fair and commonly understood regulatory framework. We have also seen massive improvements in caller location driven by regulatory requirements, including the ability to locate a caller in three dimensions inside a multistory building. As these technologies are being implemented, we are seeing better caller location, more data provided to 9-1-1 public safety answering points (PSAPs), and better interoperability between disparate 9-1-1 systems. All of these changes are improving the speed and accuracy of emergency response, which translates directly into saving lives.

3) How is NENA addressing challenges related to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) implementation, and what advice would you give to agencies navigating this transition?

NENA is the standards development organization for 9-1-1 and NG9-1-1 operations and technology for North America, and as such, we are always working to advance NG9-1-1. NENA also has played a critical role in the development of federal rules that facilitate the transition to NG9-1-1. We provide expert training on NG9-1-1 technologies and produce many informational and guidance documents about how to manage the transition and understand our standards. The best advice I could give to 9-1-1 authorities that are transitioning to NG9-1-1 is to have experts that really understand the standards and technology as well as the regulations. This is a critical time for NG9-1-1 implementation.

4) What role do emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT play in enhancing emergency response systems?

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting possibilities in 9-1-1. But it is only one tool in the toolbox and will never fully replace the role of humans at the heart of 9-1-1. We see AI used in 9-1-1 for many novel tasks, such as call triage, foreign language detection and translation, transcription and recordkeeping, and quality assurance assessments.

The IoT environment provides an interesting challenge because many devices like alarms and sensors are technically capable of contacting emergency services without placing a phone call, starting a text session, or having any human interaction. It is critically important that the 9-1-1 telecommunicator answering a call understands how the call was placed, and thus, NENA is working on keeping pace with the market and providing guidance for training and operations to handle IoT calls. The market is not quite ready for this type of call, but it is coming and will introduce operational challenges once implemented.

5) What are the biggest obstacles facing the emergency communications industry today, and how can they be overcome?

The biggest obstacle to NG9-1-1 implementation is funding. Public safety agencies want to make the transition, and carriers are required by the FCC to send NG9-1-1 calls to NG9-1-1 systems upon receiving valid requests from 9-1-1 authorities. However, most local governments do not have the resources to maintain both a Legacy 9-1-1 system and implement NG9-1-1 at the same time. That’s why for the health and safety of all Americans, Congress needs to complete the job of providing enough funding to speed the deployment of NG9-1-1 across the United States.

6) Looking ahead, what innovations or trends do you foresee shaping the future of emergency communications and public safety?

AI has the potential to be a major force multiplier for first responders. NENA has already seen valuable implementations of AI in 9-1-1 centers, and we are excited to see what the future holds. And while AI can never replace the role of humans in 9-1-1, it is part of the solution to staffing challenges because it can help 9-1-1 telecommunicators handle more calls with greater efficiency and accuracy and with less mental stress. I think AI tools are extremely promising in this regard.

7) What can attendees expect to gain from your session at IWCE 2026?

I have two sessions at IWCE. One will discuss an NTIA-led study that NENA contributed to on the use of AI in 9-1-1. This is a very hot topic right now, and I look forward to sharing NENA’s perspectives and discussing NTIA’s findings with my colleagues. My second session is on a DHS-sponsored project to develop an NG9-1-1 conformance and interoperability testing laboratory to certify NG9-1-1 products as compliant with the NENA standards. I have worked closely with DHS and their partners on this project as the person responsible for directing NG9-1-1 standards development in North America. I think this is an exciting subject that both NG9-1-1 solution providers and 9-1-1 authorities need to know a lot more about.

8) What are you most excited about for IWCE 2026, and how do you think the event will impact the industry?

I have attended IWCE almost every year for two decades. The agenda is always full of valuable content. In recent years, IWCE has had more subject matter on 9-1-1, which I really appreciate. I am excited to learn more about what other experts in my industry have to say, and to see new technology solutions on the show floor.