7.5 NENA Standards & Other Documents
Key Takeaways
- NENA is an ANSI-accredited standards developer that publishes several classes of documents, some approved as American National Standards and some developed jointly with APCO.
- NENA Standards (STA) contain normative requirements for interoperability and operations, Information Documents (INF) provide guidance, Requirements documents (REQ) guide standards development, Reference documents (REF) hold reference material, and Administrative documents (ADM) cover NENA procedures and the glossary.
- A number such as NENA-STA-010.3b-2021 shows the document type, document number, version and revision, and year, while older numbers such as NENA 56-005 come from the earlier numbering scheme.
- Volunteer working groups in the NENA Development Group draft documents, which go through committee review, public review and comment, and formal approval, followed by periodic review, revision, or archiving.
- PSAP managers use NENA documents in procurement, SOPs, grants, and legal defense, and should always confirm the current version at nena.org/standards, as the ENP Body of Knowledge directs.
7.5 NENA Standards & Other Documents
Quick Answer: NENA is an ANSI-accredited standards developer. It publishes Standards (STA) with normative requirements, Information Documents (INF) with guidance, Requirements documents (REQ) that guide the development of standards, Reference documents (REF), and Administrative documents (ADM) such as the Master Glossary. Volunteer working groups in the NENA Development Group draft documents, which go through review, public comment, and approval, and some become American National Standards (ANS), including standards developed jointly with APCO. Document numbers such as NENA-STA-010.3b-2021 encode the type, number, version, and year. The ENP Body of Knowledge simply directs candidates to nena.org/standards for the latest documents, so knowing how the system works matters as much as memorizing titles.
1. NENA as a Standards Developer
- ANSI accreditation: NENA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute, which means documents developed through its ANSI process meet requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process and can be approved as American National Standards.
- Joint development: NENA and APCO develop some documents together, such as the QA/QI standard (APCO/NENA ANS 1.107) and the TERT standard (NENA/APCO-STA-050).
- Volunteer structure: Committees and working groups in the NENA Development Group (NDG) do the drafting. NENA's administrative documents describe the NDG's structure and procedures (NENA-ADM-001) and maintain the Master Glossary of 9-1-1 Terminology (NENA-ADM-000).
2. Document Classes
| Class | Purpose | Typical Language | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| STA - Standard | Normative requirements that support interoperability and consistent operations; may be ANSI-approved | "SHALL," "SHOULD," "MAY" | NENA-STA-010 (i3), NENA-STA-020 (9-1-1 call processing), NENA-STA-006 (GIS data model) |
| INF - Information Document | Guidance, background, best practices, and lessons learned | Recommendations and explanation | NENA-INF-016 (ESInet design), NENA-INF-025 (Virtual PSAP management), NENA-INF-010 (succession planning) |
| REQ - Requirements Document | Requirements used by NENA committees and working groups, and by industry, as input for developing standards; not a procurement specification | Requirement statements | NENA-REQ-001 (NG9-1-1 PSAP requirements), NENA-REQ-002 (NG9-1-1 data management requirements) |
| REF - Reference Document | Reference material such as guides, reports, worksheets, and resource lists | Reference content | NENA-REF-001 (PSAP Staffing Guidelines Report), NENA-REF-005 (NG9-1-1 Guide for 9-1-1 Authorities) |
| ADM - Administrative Document | NENA's own procedures and shared terminology | Procedures and definitions | NENA-ADM-000 (Master Glossary), NENA-ADM-001 (NDG organizational structure) |
Why the class matters: A PSAP can require vendors to conform to a Standard, but an Information Document offers recommendations, and a Requirements document is meant to shape future standards rather than serve as a purchasing specification on its own.
3. Reading a NENA Document Number
Take NENA-STA-010.3b-2021:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NENA | Publisher |
| STA | Document class (Standard) |
| 010 | Document number (the i3 standard) |
| .3b | Version 3, revision b |
| 2021 | Year of approval |
Older documents used a committee-based format such as NENA 56-005 (the former call answering standard) or NENA 02-010 (data formats). Many have since been replaced, renumbered, or archived. For example, NENA-STA-020 replaced the old call answering guidance, and NENA's data standards for service providers and 9-1-1 jurisdictions now carry a STA number (NENA-STA-059). Always check that you are citing the current version.
4. How NENA Documents Are Developed
- Proposal: A new work item is proposed and approved, and a working group is formed.
- Drafting: The working group, made up of volunteers from PSAPs, 9-1-1 authorities, vendors, and carriers, writes the draft.
- Committee review: The parent committee reviews the draft for quality and consistency with other documents.
- Public review and comment: The draft is opened for comment, and the working group resolves every comment.
- Approval: NENA's development leadership and Board approve publication; documents on the ANS track also follow ANSI consensus procedures.
- Maintenance: Each document carries a review date and is periodically reaffirmed, revised, or archived.
Because anyone can comment during public review, PSAP managers can influence standards that will shape their operations.
5. Key Documents for ENP Candidates
| Domain | Documents to Know |
|---|---|
| NG9-1-1 architecture and security | NENA-STA-010 (i3), NENA-INF-016 (ESInet design), NENA-STA-040 (NG-SEC), NENA-STA-012 (Additional Data), NENA-STA-021 and NENA-STA-024 (EIDO and its conveyance), NENA-REQ-001 (NG9-1-1 PSAP), NENA-REF-005 (NG9-1-1 guide for 9-1-1 authorities), NENA-INF-008 (NG9-1-1 transition planning), NENA-INF-003 (NG9-1-1 demarcation points) |
| GIS and data | NENA-STA-006 (GIS data model), NENA-STA-004 (CLDXF civic location format), NENA-STA-005 (provisioning GIS data to the ECRF and LVF), NENA 71-501 (GIS, MSAG, and ALI synchronization), NENA-STA-059 (data standards for service providers and 9-1-1 jurisdictions), NENA-STA-008 (registry system) |
| Operations and equipment | NENA-STA-020 (9-1-1 call processing), NENA/APCO-STA-050 (TERT), NENA-INF-025 (virtual PSAPs), NENA-STA-026 (PSAP master clock), NENA-STA-027 (E9-1-1 PSAP equipment) |
| People and wellness | NENA-STA-002 (acute, traumatic, and chronic stress management), NENA-STA-007 (hearing standard), NENA-INF-010 (succession planning), NENA-REF-001 (PSAP staffing guidelines) |
| Joint APCO/NENA standards | APCO/NENA ANS 1.107 (QA/QI), APCO/NENA 2.105.1 (Emergency Incident Data Document) |
6. Using Standards in Practice
- Procurement: Cite specific STA numbers and versions in RFPs, and require vendors to show conformance (Chapter 14).
- Policies and SOPs: Build performance targets and procedures on current standards, such as NENA-STA-020 for call processing.
- Grants: Federal NG9-1-1 grant guidance commonly expects projects to follow NENA i3 and related standards.
- Legal defense: Following recognized standards helps show a reasonable standard of care (18.2).
- Staying current: Check nena.org/standards and the NENA Knowledge Base, watch review dates, and track superseded documents.
7. Operational Traps & ENP Exam Watch
- STA vs. INF vs. REQ: Standards set requirements, Information Documents give guidance, and Requirements documents guide future standards development.
- ANSI Accreditation: NENA is an ANSI-accredited standards developer, and some documents are American National Standards.
- Check the Version: Exam items and real projects both depend on the current version; superseded documents can carry outdated numbers.
- Joint Standards Exist: Some key documents are APCO/NENA or NENA/APCO joint standards.
- Public Comment Is Open: Anyone can comment during public review, which is how PSAPs shape the documents they will follow.
Which class of NENA document contains normative requirements, such as SHALL statements, intended to support interoperability and consistent operations?
According to NENA, what is the intended use of a Requirements (REQ) document?
In the document number NENA-STA-010.3b-2021, what do the elements indicate?