2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 10. Military Affairs and Disaster and Emergency Services › Chapter 4. State Emergency Telephone System › Part 1. Emergency Telephone System Plans › 10-4-101. Definitions

10-4-101. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:
(1) "9-1-1 system" means telecommunications facilities, circuits, equipment, devices, software, and associated contracted services for the transmission of emergency communications. A 9-1-1 system includes the transmission of emergency communications:
(a) from persons requesting emergency services to a primary public safety answering point and communications systems for the direct dispatch, relay, and transfer of emergency communications; and
(b) to or from a public safety answering point to or from emergency service units.
(2) "Access line" means a voice service of a provider of exchange access services, a wireless provider, or a provider of interconnected voice over IP service that has enabled and activated service for its subscriber to contact a public safety answering point via a 9-1-1 system by entering or dialing the digits 9-1-1. When the service has the capacity, as enabled and activated by a provider, to make more than one simultaneous outbound 9-1-1 call, then each separate simultaneous outbound call, voice channel, or other capacity constitutes a separate access line.
(3) "Commercial mobile radio service" means:
(a) a mobile service that is:
(i) provided for profit with the intent of receiving compensation or monetary gain;
(ii) an interconnected service; and
(iii) available to the public or to classes of eligible users so as to be effectively available to a substantial portion of the public; or
(b) a mobile service that is the functional equivalent of a mobile service described in subsection (3)(a).
(4) "Department" means the department of justice provided for in Title 2, chapter 15, part 20.
(5) "Emergency communications" means any form of communication requesting any type of emergency services by contacting a public safety answering point through a 9-1-1 system, including voice, nonvoice, or video communications, as well as transmission of any text message or analog digital data.
(6) "Emergency services" means services provided by a public or private safety agency, including law enforcement, firefighting, ambulance or medical services, and civil defense services.
(7) "Exchange access services" means:
(a) telephone exchange access lines or channels that provide local access from the premises of a subscriber in this state to the local telecommunications network to effect the transfer of information; and
(b) unless a separate tariff rate is charged for the exchange access lines or channels, a facility or service provided in connection with the services described in subsection (7)(a).
(8) "Interconnected voice over IP service" means a service that:
(a) enables real-time, two-way voice communications;
(b) requires a broadband connection from a user's location;
(c) requires IP-compatible customer premises equipment; and
(d) permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network.
(9) "IP" means internet protocol, or the method by which data are sent on the internet, or a communications protocol for computers connected to a network, especially the internet.
(10) "Local government" has the meaning provided in 7-11-1002.
(11) "Next-generation 9-1-1" means a system composed of hardware, software, data, and operational policies and procedures that:
(a) provides standardized interfaces from call and message services;
(b) processes all types of emergency calls, including nonvoice or multimedia messages;
(c) acquires and integrates additional data useful to emergency communications;
(d) delivers the emergency communications or messages, or both, and data to the appropriate public safety answering point and other appropriate emergency entities;
(e) supports data and communications needs for coordinated incident response and management; and
(f) provides a secure environment for emergency communications.
(12) "Originating service provider" means an entity that provides capability for a retail customer to initiate emergency communications.
(13) "Per capita basis" means a calculation made to allocate a monetary amount for each person residing within the jurisdictional boundary of a county according to the most recent decennial census compiled by the United States bureau of the census.
(14) "Prepaid wireless service" means a commercial mobile radio service that:
(a) allows a subscriber to use a 9-1-1 system to engage in emergency communications; and
(b) is paid for in advance and sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount, including prepaid wireless phone cards, recharge or refill authorization codes, and prepaid cell phones or other prepaid wireless devices preloaded with airtime minutes.
(15) "Private safety agency" means an entity, except a public safety agency, providing emergency fire, ambulance, or medical services.
(16) "Provider" means a public utility, a cooperative telephone company, a wireless provider, a provider of interconnected voice over IP service, a provider of exchange access services, or any other entity that provides access lines.
(17) "Public safety agency" means a functional division of a local or tribal government or the state that dispatches or provides law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services or other emergency services.
(18) "Public safety answering point" means a communications facility operated on a 24-hour basis that first receives emergency communications from persons requesting emergency services and that may, as appropriate, directly dispatch emergency services or transfer or relay the emergency communications to appropriate public safety agencies.
(19) "Relay" means a 9-1-1 service in which a public safety answering point, upon receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, notes the pertinent information from the caller and relays the information to the appropriate public safety agency, other agencies, or other providers of emergency services for dispatch of an emergency unit.
(20) "Seller" means a person who owns or operates a business that sells prepaid wireless services directly to a subscriber.
(21) "Subscriber" means:
(a) an end user who has an access line or who contracts with a wireless provider for commercial mobile radio services; or
(b) a customer who purchases prepaid wireless services from a seller in a transaction.
(22) "Transaction" means the purchase of prepaid wireless service from a seller for any purpose other than resale.
(23) "Transfer" means a service in which a public safety answering point, upon receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, directly transfers the request to an appropriate public safety agency or other emergency services provider.
(24) "Tribal government" has the meaning provided in 2-15-141.
(25) "Wireless provider" means an entity that is authorized by the federal communications commission to provide facilities-based commercial mobile radio service within this state.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 635, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 30, Ch. 370, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 46, Ch. 42, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 448, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 304, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 15, Ch. 2, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 316, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 367, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 172, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 222, Ch. 271, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 435, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 566, L. 2021.