§ 120b.102. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Act—The Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act (35 P. S. § § 7011—7021).
Agency—The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
COCOT—Customer-Owned Coin Operated Telephone.
CPE—customer premises equipment—Telecommunications and associated terminal equipment that is located at the PSAP or dispatch point and has capabilities for handling or dispatching, or both, 911 calls. This equipment may be provided all or in part by the telephone company or by another supplier.
Central office/end central office—A local telephone company switching system where telephone exchange service customer station loops are terminated for purposes of interconnection to each other and to trunks. The term applies for purposes of the contribution rate.
Central office upgrades—The replacement of central office equipment with more advanced technology for the purpose of making available more 911 features.
Commission—The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
Contribution rate—A county fee that is assessed against a telephone subscriber and collected by the telephone company for the nonrecurring, maintenance and operational costs of a 911 system. The fee may be used for expenses incurred in implementing, expanding or upgrading a 911 system. Once a plan and contribution rate has been established, the contribution rate shall remain fixed for at least 3 years. The contribution rate on each local exchange access line may not exceed the following amounts:(i) First through second class A counties, a contribution rate not to exceed $1/line/month.
(ii) Third through fifth class counties, a contribution rate not to exceed $1.25/line/month.
(iii) Sixth through eighth class counties, a contribution rate not to exceed $1.50/line/month.
Control office—The central office which provides switching capability for selectively routed 911 calls and terminates 911 dedicated lines from a central office or PSAP, or both. It controls the switching of the automatic number identification (ANI) and selective routing information to the PSAPs.
Council—The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council.
County—The term includes a city of the first class coterminous with a county.
County plan—An emergency communications plan developed by a county or two or more counties in concert and submitted to the Agency on a triennial basis outlining the county’s 911 system, including the contribution rate. The plan shall be unique to the county to meet the individual needs of the county, the local governments and emergency service providers within the county.
Data base—The collection of information necessary for a 911 emergency communications system. This information may include street files, geographic files, subscriber names, telephone number, street address or location and other files necessary for the proper and prompt handling of 911 calls.
Dedicated line—A communication path connecting a PSAP to one or more locations through other than exchange access lines. The term includes private lines, tie lines and on-premises channels.
Dial line—A communication path connecting a PSAP to various other points by dialing a numeric code. The term includes exchange access lines, private branch exchange lines, centrex lines and intercommunication lines.
Directly related personnel salary and benefit costs—Wage, salary and benefit costs for personnel responsible for provision of 911 services. The term may include PSAP personnel at telephone answering or dispatch stations, or both, and 911 supervisory personnel. The amount of the contribution rate dedicated to salary, training and benefit costs may not exceed 70% of the total surcharge, subscriber fee, collected during each county’s fiscal year.
Emergency services—The term includes services, including firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance and medical, provided for the protection or preservation of persons or property in circumstances of immediate and significant threat of injury or harm.
Equipment costs—The costs of customer premises and microwave equipment purchased by the county that is directly related to the 911 system.
Equipment lease charges—Charges for customer premises and microwave equipment leased by the county that is directly related to the 911 system.
Local exchange telephone service—The provision of telephonic message transmission within an exchange, as it is defined and described in tariffs filed with and approved by the Commission.
Local government—A county, city, borough, town, first class township, second class township or home rule municipality.
Mobile communications equipment—Cellular telephones, improved mobile telephone service or a system which provides voice telephone service to a mobile station. The term includes mobile radio equipment that is affixed to a vehicle or other mobile station or equipment designed to be carried by an individual.
Network changes—Central office changes required to be made by a telephone company, so that when 911 is dialed the call is directed to the proper trunk circuits, including selective routing but not including central office upgrades.
911 emergency communications system—A system which permits a person dialing 911 by telephone to be connected to a PSAP, via telephone facilities, for the reporting of police, fire, medical or other emergency services.
Nonswitched call—A telephone call carried over exchange facilities from the calling party, originating station, to the called party, terminating station, via a directly routed circuit.
PBX—Private Branch Exchange.
PSAP—Public safety answering point—The first point at which calls placed by individuals for emergency assistance are answered, 24 hours/day. It may be the same location that dispatches emergency assistance but does not necessarily need to be the same.
Person—In addition to a natural person, the term includes a corporation, a partnership, an association, the Federal government, the State government, a political subdivision, and a municipal or other local authority.
Public agency—The Commonwealth or a political subdivision, public authority, municipal authority or an organization located in whole or in part within this Commonwealth which provides or has the authority to provide firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance, emergency medical or other emergency services.
Public pay stations—Telephones owned or operated by a regulated public utility which require coin insertion, use of credit card or third-party billing for call placement. The term does not include COCOTS and semipublic pay stations.
Public safety agency—A functional division of a public agency which provides firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance, medical or other emergency services.
Semipublic pay stations—A pay telephone which is used by both the customer (owner) and the public in locations that are public in character and which is installed at the customer’s initiative and billed to the customer. The term includes stations owned by the telephone company.
Telephone subscriber—A person who contracts with a telephone company within this Commonwealth for local exchange telephone service, either residential or commercial, but not including public pay stations. Each dial tone access line or PBX trunk group member shall constitute a separate subscription.
Telephone terminal equipment—Customer premises equipment that is located at the PSAP and is provided by a telephone company or other vendor; for example, telephone answering positions, display terminals, printers and call recording equipment.
Trunk line service—911 telephone trunks from the telephone company central office where the 911 calls originate, to the control central office and from the control central office to the PSAP.
Utility—A public utility or a municipality, subject to Commission jurisdiction, which provides electric, gas, steam heat, sewer or water service.
Authority The provisions of this § 120b.2 amended under the Emergency Management Service Code, 35 Pa.C.S. § 7313.
Source The provisions of this § 120b.102 adopted April 17, 1992, effective April 18, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 1908; amended October 29, 1993, effective October 30, 1993, 23 Pa.B. 5133; amended August 11, 2000, effective August 12, 2000, 30 Pa.B. 4226. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (229924) to (229927).
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