The state’s Department of Administration has announced a big improvement for 911 calls: The ability of responders to “zero in on your longitude and latitude data within three feet when you call 911 from a cell phone,” according to a statement.
Not only that, but officials can now trace emergency calls made from landlines using updated coordinates, not “outdated” billing addresses maintained by telecommunications providers.
This is all part of a decadelong effort by the department to update an emergency call system anchored around 1960s-era landline systems, according to the statement, and bring Next-Generation 911 services to residents, reflecting a nationwide trend that is fueling business in public safety technology.
Deploying better emergency call technology is helping officials across the country improve disaster response, a particularly visible issue this year during the late-season barrage of hurricanes that hit the U.S.
“The work we’re doing really affects Arizonans because when you call 911, and it's an emergency, and it's probably one of the worst days of your life, you're going to get to the right person the first time,” said Brooke Serpa, geographic information systems program manager for the department, in the statement.
The state used Esri software for the upgrade, though the change involved much more than pressing some buttons. Arizona’s 911 team had to figure out the data available to them for this effort, and work with public safety and GIS experts, including those from out of state.
GIS is one of those tools and areas of innovation finding increased use among state and local governments across the country.
After all that, the state’s 911 team then had to work with counties and municipalities in Arizona to update data, understand where the gaps were and conduct development and training.
The project, in fact, won recognition from Esri, meaning that it could provide case studies for other governments looking to make similar changes.
