New dispatch equipment to be installed

It can be a scary thing to have someone screaming for help over the phone to a dispatcher and not being able to get their location because the line disconnects or the person becomes unable to finish telling the dispatcher where they are. We once had multiple deputies driving up and down several county roads trying to locate a residence because the dispatchers were not able to get the entire address before the phone was ripped away from the person who was trying to place the 911 call. The location was eventually found by tracing the call, but the process to get the call traced can sometimes take longer than we would like.

Over the next few weeks, our dispatch center will be undergoing a major equipment upgrade that will drastically improve the technology and capabilities of the center. This installation process started several months ago with dispatchers viewing demos of available programs from communications providers. Then a process of customizing the equipment and software to meet the specific needs of our center took place before the system was temporarily set up at on off-site location allowing our dispatchers to view and use the equipment to make sure it met our needs before the equipment is installed in our center. Once the system is installed in our center, dispatchers will be trained on the new system by technicians from the company.

Although our dispatchers have done a great job with the system that has been in place for the past 7 years, most of the equipment is now outdated and not eligible for software updates, making it hard to get repairs and maintenance done.

Most of the changes to the equipment and software are things that may seem foreign to anyone except the dispatchers who use it, but one of the biggest upgrades I am excited about is the ability of the system to trace 911 phone calls. Although it is commonly thought that all dispatch centers already do this, it is not something that our center has had the capability to do.

Currently calls that need to be located for emergency reasons had to be started by certain paperwork being filed and the information being sent to our dispatch center. With the new software we will be receiving, most emergency 911 calls will have an automatic-locate function by the system to help give the dispatcher a location of where the call came from even if they lose connection with the caller, or can’t understand what the caller is saying.

Technology can move fast making it a challenge to keep up, but it can also bring many improvements and tools for us to help better serve the citizens of our county. As Austrailian athlete David McNeill said, “I guess when there is room to improve, and where there is the desire to improve, improvement comes.” Our dispatchers are excited to get this new software and equipment installed so they can begin their training for it and improve our dispatch center even more.