The Martinsville-Henry County (MHC) 911 Center has successfully converted its emergency communications system to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), an internet protocol (IP)-based emergency communications system that is designed to replace the analog 911 infrastructure that’s been in place for decades.
The primary benefit to the upgrade is that it improves location data accuracy which enables 911 dispatchers to locate callers more quickly and with greater precision than ever before.
“This project has spanned over the course of several years and we are excited that we were able to implement the new system without any issues,” said Tierra Dillard, Director of the MHC 911 Center. “NG911 will provide our dispatchers with better data and it will allow our emergency response team to better serve our community.”
Along with improved location data, the system also enables future enhancements that are not possible with traditional phone circuits. Those in need of emergency assistance will eventually be able to send videos, photos, and other forms of broadband information to 911 professionals.
“Once NG911 implements these upgrades, citizens will be able to send text messages regarding medical information, send photos of a fleeing suspect or accident damage, or they can even stream videos of an emergency,” Dillard said. “Having this information will aid our dispatchers as they prepare other first responders to assist with the incident. Even though citizens will have the capability of communicating via text messages, we ask that citizens call whenever possible because it will allow our dispatchers to gather more information quickly.”
The upgrade also will increase capacity for interoperability of 911 communication systems when dealing with multi-jurisdictional emergencies, such as terror-related incidents and natural disasters. In addition, it will reduce the impact to 911 service caused by weather or damage to phone lines.
For more information on NG911, visit https://nga911.com/.
