THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603120115
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A population explosion in northern Isle of Wight, near Smithfield, has left emergency communications equipment unable to keep up with the demand for fast action, Police Chief Mark Marshall told the Town Council last week.
That problem will end when a state-of-the-art, computer-aided dispatching system is installed at the Smithfield Police Department, Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department and the Isle of Wight Volunteer Rescue Squad, Marshall said at last week's Town Council meeting. No installation date has been set.
The CAD system, which will be tied into the county's 911 number, will electronically link the town's police, fire and rescue service via computer. This will make it easier than ever before for information to flow between the three departments, Marshall said.
Currently, each of these departments uses a different record-managing system to store information on its own computer. Because the different computer systems do not interface and the departments don't share data, emergency workers miss a lot of information that would make their jobs easier.
``The police department often has information that might benefit the fire department and rescue squad in emergency situations,'' Marshall said. ``What we are proposing is to put all our information together in one dedicated file that we can access whenever it's needed.''
Currently, when a 911 emergency call rings into the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Department, the dispatcher automatically sees the caller's name and address. The addition of the CAD system would enable the dispatcher to pull up a wealth of information that would make police, rescue and fire personnel respond more efficiently and effectively.
After receiving a rescue call, a dispatcher using the CAD system could hit a key to print any history on the patients. Before leaving for the call, rescue officials could pull the individuals' history to learn about possible life-saving information, such as drug allergies.
The CAD system looked at for Smithfield also would have mapping capabilities, Marshall said. This would prove invaluable in situations such as fires, when the dispatcher could print a map leading to the fire and showing the closest fire hydrants.
Smithfield's police and fire departments have received state grants totaling $44,000 to install a CAD system. If the town has not made definite plans for installing the communications system by July 1, it risks losing the state funds, Marshall said.
The Smithfield Police Department received its $15,000 grant from the state Department of Criminal Justice. And because it would be a primary responder to any disaster at the Surry Nuclear Power Plant, the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $29,000 grant from the state Department of Emergency Services.
In other business, Judy Hare, a member of the Tourism Bureau's Board of Directors, asked the council for $3,000 to use as seed money to fund Olden Days. The group estimated it would take about $5,000 to fund the two-day spring festival but is planning to raise $2,000.
Traditionally, the Spirit of Smithfield has organized and funded the Memorial Day weekend event. But this year, the group of Smithfield entrepreneurs wanted another group to assume the reins - and the financing - of the event.
``Once this seed money is in place, I won't have to come back to you,'' Hare said. ``Olden Days is a self-perpetuating event that pays for itself.''
The council also authorized Suzzann S. Pittman, town treasurer, to publish a new list of delinquent taxpayers in local newspapers after March 24.
Pittman reported the town recouped $20,000 in late personal property taxes while selling vehicle decals last month. by CNB