Installing Enhanced 911 May Take 3 Years
Posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Getting Started
Pending approval of E-911 service fees by voters on Dec. 8, fully installing an enhanced emergency answering system will take up to three years.
Equipment will not be purchased and operational until the 18-24 month mark.
Mapping and Addressing Takes Months
The most time-consuming stage comes first – mapping and addressing every structure in the county. The fieldwork alone will consume 12-18 months, mapping experts say.
In the end, residents will have a 911 street and house number address to display on their structure or mailbox.
The 911 address will fulfill the needs of emergency services for a GPS latitude/longitude physical location to which to respond, said John Eberle, regional vice president of Interact Public Safety Systems.
It also will satisfy the postal service requirement for a “locatable street address” to which to deliver mail. Rural residents will acquire home delivery of packages, he confirmed.
Existing street and road names and house numbers ideally will be retained. Duplicate street names within defined geographic areas or multiple names on one road or street will need to be resolved.
What the Dispatcher Will See and Do
The telephone companies will receive the resulting database of maps and addresses to match to customers, so that when a landline call comes in to 911, the software will pop up on one computer screen the name, 911 address, and location of the caller, plus the name of the nearest fire, ambulance, and law enforcement agency that should be sent.
On a second computer screen, the dispatcher will see the map and road network leading to the caller’s location, which will be marked by a red icon. The dispatcher will be able to direct emergency vehicles succinctly and accurately to the scene.
“On down the line, the maps the dispatcher sees could be wirelessly transferred to laptops in the emergency vehicles. That will speed response even more,” Eberle said.
Location verification from the 911 caller will be requested but not needed, in case the caller is too young or too confused or unable to talk at all.
What the Dispatcher Hears and Does Today
Thus will end many of the frustrating delays associated with the current Basic 911 system, for which there are no computers, no screens, no database, no digital maps, and no street addresses for most rural locations. Also no accessories for recording of calls, logging of calls, or TTD for taking calls from the hearing impaired.
Instead, there is a red telephone on which the 911 calls come in, furnishing no more information than caller id, if available. In most instances, the callers must know and state their location and driving directions.
The dispatcher consults paper maps on the wall to identify the area and determine which police, fire, or ambulance should be sent.
The dispatcher then radios emergency personnel to explain the way to the scene or works with them to obtain directions en route in some other way, including from the public listening in on police scanners.
Upgrading the System for Wireless Phones
Once the enhanced 911 system is up and running for landlines, cell phone providers will be advised. When calls to 911 come in, the dispatcher will see on the screen a geographic coordinate tied to a cell phone location.
Non-Emergency Numbers Remain the Same
All of the improvements that are planned are dedicated to speeding response by police, fire, and ambulance to emergencies at homes or on the roads.
For non-emergencies, callers will continue to use the local number for Marietta Police (276-9371), Thackerville Police (276-3150 or 276-7005 mobile), and Love County Sheriff (276-3150).
For community services or to obtain the number of any social service agency, there is the 211 helpline. It is free and answered by trained call-takers at the area 211 call center 24 hours a day.
Basic 911 - Caller to 911 must be able to state location and driving directions.
Enhanced 911 --
Caller's name, 911 address, and location, plus the name of the nearest fire, ambulance, and law enforcement agency that should be dispatched automatically pops up on a computer screen when the call is answered. On another computer screen, the dispatcher will see the map and road network leading to the caller's location, which will be marked by a red icon. The dispatcher directs emergency vehicles succinctly and accurately to the scene.