New system will help locate 911 cell phone callers
Her job involves everything from livestock on the loose, wrecks, drunken falls and shots fired. No matter what the event, Joan Clayton relies on her communications system to help her locate exactly where a 911 phone call is coming from.
Ms. Clayton has worked in St. Joseph and Buchanan County’s 911 communications center for 23 years and soon, for the first time, she will be able to determine the location of an individual placing a call from a cell phone.
On June 30, the St. Joseph City Council approved the purchase of the roughly $282,000 worth of equipment needed to make the switch. The current system lacks the ability to identify the whereabouts of callers on a cell phone.
“We’re all really excited,” said Ms. Clayton. “If people in a stressful situation call and can only vaguely tell us where they are this system will help us find them faster.”
Tabby McClanahan, public safety network administrator, says law enforcement officials have been trying to get their current system replaced for almost five years, but other priorities such as a new two-way radio system came first. Funding for the new system will come from Capital Improvements Program, or CIP, funds.
“We will be the first department in the region to have this system,” Ms. McClanahan said.
Johnson County, Kan., has purchased the system but hasn’t installed it yet, said Ms. McClanahan.
The system, which the department hopes to have up and running by August, allows for two additional operators over the current system.
“Right now we have to manually gather call counts but this new system will automatically do that,” Ms. McClanahan said. “Those numbers provide good workload indicators, which tell us the number of personnel needed during peak call hours.”
During the month of June, Ms. Clayton and the operators at the 911 communications center received 4,588 emergency calls and 16,386 calls on their non-emergency lines.
“Our job is helping people, and this system is going to make it much easier and faster for us to help them,” Ms. Clayton said.
Megan Tilk can be reached at megantilk@npgco.com.
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yay!! tracking people is fun in the new big brother usa. "But it is for a good cause" of course this use is for good but the tracking of people will be used for much more than this - just like RFDI chips in credit cards / passports etc. Must keep the sheep in line you know? Got to know where everyone is and what they are doing at all times. This use of tracking is fine but, there is always two sides to every coin and story. Just do some research on RFDI chips to learn about how tracking is not all it is cracked up to be.
Posted by just_sayin on July 10, 2008 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)NWO,
Cell phone signals have been traceable through the cell phone company for years. If you remember, that's how the police found OJ in his White Bronco so many years ago. This system simply gives law enforcement instant access when someone dials 911 so the cops can get there sooner. If you don't want the cops to know where you are...don't call.
I agree with you on RFDI chips, but I wouldn't lump this life-saving program in with them.
Posted by DownWithTheNWO on July 11, 2008 at 1:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)as i typed i AGREE this use of tracking is OK. This will not be the only use of this type of tracking. I was just making a point that this is a way to make tracking look like a godsend. Let me type it again - this use (the tracking of people using the 911 system on cell phones) is GREAT and WILL save lives. But people must be aware of all the other uses that will come from and branch off of this system. I also am glad to read that someone else has looked into rfdi chips, this one single facet of tracking i would not lump in. Just trying to make people aware of all the tracking that is done to law abiding citizens without their knowledge. Just_saying is a great example of how to disagree with knowledge not just "you are stupid""you are a nut" and i appreciate that - thank you.
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