To help 911 call centers route calls from wireless phones and IP-based phones more quickly and efficiently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are distributing $40 million in grants.

California, one of the 30 states to receive funding, was allotted $4.3 million. The grant mandates that states also match their award amount. Daphne Roe, chief of the California 911 Emergency Communications Office, told Government Technology that to the best of her knowledge it's the first funding from the federal government in the last decade that's specifically for 911 upgrades.

California plans to use the money for a pilot in northern California that will locate 911 callers who are dialing from wireless phones by using GPS coordinates.

According to the NTIA, the funds could be used to implement advanced technologies to deliver 911 calls with automatic crash location information as well as evacuation alerts to people using wireless services.

For more information, read Government Technology’s article about the enhanced 911 funds.