Alabama could pioneer new 911 technology

By Stephanie Taylor Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

When a gunman stormed two buildings on the Virginia Tech campus in April 2007 and killed 32 people, terrified students took cover and turned to their mobile phones.

Afraid to call attention to themselves, they texted messages and photographs to friends and family members. They texted 911.

But their messages didn’t reach emergency officials because the outdated 911 system had not caught up with modern digital technology.

Alabama could be one of the first states to usher 911 communications into the 21st century using Internet protocol(IP)-based 911 technology as soon as next year, said Rod Coleman, Tuscaloosa E-911 director who has served as the president of the Alabama chapter of the National Emergency Number Association for the last year.

“A lot of people think you can text 911, but you can’t,” Coleman said. “911 technology has not kept up with modern technology like it should have.”

The network would be called ANGEN, for Alabama Next Generation Emergency Network.

The first 911 call ever placed was in Haleyville in 1968. Coleman hopes Alabama will be ahead of other states in the upgrades as well.

Equipment at the state’s 115 answering points in 88 emergency communications districts would have to be upgraded to be IP-capable and able to access the additional call data, Coleman said. All 911 answering points would be linked together but would also have connectivity to other agencies, such as the Alabama National Guard and Emergency Management Agency.

“The idea is to take in calls from all sources and share the information with agencies that need it through this network,” Coleman said.

People who witness crimes could send photos to 911 that could be immediately transferred to laptop computers installed in police officer vehicles. A driver on the interstate could send a photo of hazardous materials codes on an overturned truck so emergency officials would know how to respond. Dispatchers could access car crash data from services such as OnStar, electronic health records, building plans and extrication guides, traffic information, electronic maps, weather and hazardous materials information.

Multiple agencies working together will benefit from not having to make a series of phone calls to share information, said Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency director David Hartin. The National Weather Service, for example, could receive information from Alabama counties about fallen trees and other storm damage without having to place multiple phone calls. Agencies would choose the information they shared, he said.

“This just makes operations much more efficient,” Hartin said.

Coleman said that broadband lines should soon reach every part of the state, thanks to Gov. Bob Riley’s broadband initiative, ConnectingALABAMA, which aims to bring high-speed Internet access to every community.

He signed an agreement with Alabama Public Television and the Alabama State Troopers to use their microwave technology in rural parts of the state where there is no broadband.

Next month, they will submit requests for proposals from companies to do routing, he said.

The total project cost for the first phase is estimated at $1.9 million. It should cost $12,522 per 911 answering point — for a total cost of slightly more than $1.4 million. Router hardware is estimated to cost $460,000.

The state expects to receive $686,230 in federal E-911 grant money, Coleman said, and has applied to receive $263,770 more. Those grants would cover half of the $1.9 million costs, with local matching funds covering the rest. Coleman said that future grant money could assist communities in covering their share.

The state is applying for $12.3 million for additional grant money that would pay for additional infrastructure and applications to run on the network.

Coleman’s term as president of the state association ends Oct. 13, but he will continue to work on the ANGEN committee.

Reach Stephanie Taylor at
stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090920/NEWS/909199935/1214/SPORT...