Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509110037
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That's certainly true of the enhanced 911 systems that Bedford, Botetourt and Franklin counties are installing. Consumers in Bedford and Franklin counties pay between $12 and $24 a year on their telephone bills to fund the service, which will allow emergency dispatchers to know what address a phone call comes from and who lives there.
Starting in January, Botetourt phone subscribers can expect to pay about the same.
These governments hope they can lower or eliminate the mandatory surcharges after their systems go on line.
But that's what Roanoke, Roanoke County, Vinton and Salem officials were thinking in 1987 when they set up their E-911 systems.
Since then, all four have doubled their surcharges, mostly to pay for equipment upgrades.
Increasing phone-bill surcharges for E-911 service "is kind of a trend statewide because people are finding out that what it costs to keep the equipment up and running is phenomenal," Roanoke County Police Capt. Art LaPrade said.
Vinton learned that lesson last year when Town Council voted to raise its fee from 46 cents to 90 cents because it needed to upgrade its computers. Even with the greater surcharge, Vinton still doesn't come close to paying for the E-911 system's regular operation, maintenance and personnel.
According to a study prepared by the town manager's office, Vinton would have to charge each telephone subscriber $3.96 a month, or $47.52 a year, just to break even on E-911.
Even if Town Council wanted to impose such a hefty tax, it couldn't do it. State law puts a cap of $2.50 per month, or $30 a year, on the phone-bill surcharge.
Bedford County, which already charges $2 a month for E-911, couldn't double its fee to pay for upgrades. Neither could Botetourt, which will charge phone customers $1.75 a month starting in January.
Franklin County, which charges $1 a month, is considering keeping the fee instead of lowering it, according to Public Safety Director Claude Webster.
But Bedford, Botetourt and Franklin counties all hope that by charging more initially, they can lower surcharges later. Botetourt's Board of Supervisors has even said it will consider eliminating the fee.
But if their experiences are similar to those of other localities, that goal could be hard to reach.
Since putting in enhanced 911 eight years ago, Vinton and Salem already have had to upgrade their computer and communications equipment. Roanoke and Roanoke County are planning to revamp their E-911 systems within the next year.
What happened? Like anything computerized, the technology keeps changing. What was new a few years ago is slow and outdated today. And in some cases, such as Roanoke's, the computer system is no longer made, and parts are becoming more costly and harder to find.
Some localities, such as Roanoke and Roanoke County, have opted to lease rather than buy equipment. Also, most computer suppliers have warranties that provide for upgrades.
Others, such as Botetourt and Franklin, have decided to purchase their equipment because they believe it probably won't be more expensive than leasing.
The new E-911 technology is diverse, but most of the localities are looking at the same goals. Here are some of the cutting-edge services that will be available soon:
nGeographic Information Systems, or GIS, puts a gleam in the eyes of public-safety officials and government planners everywhere.
With GIS, government employees working at computer terminals can superimpose road maps, tax information, land records, utility-line locations or just about anything imaginable onto computerized aerial maps of their locality.
For 911 dispatchers, that means they can instantly call up aerial photographs on their computer screens with detailed information about the location of the call.
"In a hostage situation, for example, a line map would show the house, but it would not show the cover available to a SWAT team," Bedford County Community Development Director Garland Page said. "With the aerial photographs, [a dispatcher] could see trees, streams and gullies. He could see exactly what the site looks like and relay that information back to officers."
Late next year, Bedford County should become the first Roanoke-area locality to have GIS. Botetourt plans to have GIS by spring of 1998, and Roanoke County is working on it, too. Roanoke hopes to have it in the next several years, and even though Franklin County doesn't plan to get it anytime soon, the computer equipment it's buying will be able to interface with GIS.
GIS is popular because it can be used for more than 911 dispatch. In fact, just about every government agency can find a use for it.
Planners can use GIS terminals to plot growth or to look at the lay of the land around proposed developments. Public works officials can route sewer or utility lines around existing lines and development. School systems can use it to plan bus routes or to judge population growth when planning new schools.
Eventually, Bedford and Botetourt plan to make GIS available to residents, so they could look up land records or print out computerized land plats, maybe even by modem.
nAnother major new feature in E-911 technology is the ability to capture "abandoned calls."
For instance, if someone calls 911 in Roanoke now and hangs up before a dispatcher answers, the dispatch center has to call Bell Atlantic's headquarters in Richmond to trace the call, a process that can take from 10 to 20 minutes.
With the new hardware Roanoke plans to install in December, dispatchers will be able to redial an abandoned call with the touch of a button and know where it came from, allowing them to send help or to find out if the call was accidental.
Salem already has this capability. Roanoke County should have it in the next six to eight months. Bedford, Botetourt and Franklin's new systems will come with it.
nOver the next couple of years, Roanoke also plans to update its computer communications to squad cars.
Now, dispatchers can send short, silent text messages to police officers on digital terminals in their cars. With the new equipment, dispatchers will be able to send officers longer, detailed information and even photos and maps, according to 911 communications superintendent Ronald Wade.
"This will mean more confidential information can be traded between officers," Public Safety Director Chip Snead said. "And it's just a great way to have clearer, faster communications and not jam up the airwaves" during an emergency.
nRoanoke also has "Emergency Medical Dispatch," a service most other localities hope to offer by the end of the decade.
Its dispatchers receive 40 hours of emergency medical training every two years and can talk callers through emergency medical techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or the Heimlich maneuver.
Bedford County's system may include software to help dispatchers talk callers through basic emergency treatment, according to acting Emergency Services Coordinator Johnny Dooley, but the county doesn't plan to train dispatchers in EMD yet.
by CNB