New 9-1-1 system will bring White County into 21st century

CLEVELAND, Ga. –  This new 9-1-1 phone system will bring us into the 21^st century, Public Safety Director David Murphy told White County commissioners during the work session on Monday.

The new age system Murphy was describing is an AT&T product that comes with a price tag of a little more than $222,000, but it has several features that could be critically important to those in need of emergency services.

First, it allows the caller’s location to be pinpointed even if the caller doesn’t know where he or she is. That is critical in White County where first responders are often called upon to locate lost or injured hikers remote and rugged terrain.

Next the system will accept text messages. That feature can save a life in a situation when someone has broken into a home, the occupant is forced to hide and is afraid to speak. Instead of communicating by voice, they can test the 9-1-1 message.

Murphy says the new system is a critical need.

“The current equipment was installed in 2007 and has outlived its usefulness,” Murphy told commissioners Monday. “Also the company it was purchased from is no longer in business and portions of it no longer work.”

This new equipment will meet the requirements coming down from the Federal Communications Commission that 9-1-1 systems be able to provide access by different forms of media.

The cost of the system, which includes software for recording 9-1-1 calls, was approved in the 2019 budget and will be paid for with revenue from the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST).

 

 

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