Kosciusko County's 911 communication center has been chosen to take part in a federal research and development project to improve emergency communications nationwide.
According to a press release from USDOT, the Kosciusko 911 center was among five public safety answering points selected from 50 applicants to participate in the project. The project, known as the USDOT Next Generation 911 Initiative, is aimed at testing and demonstrating the capabilities of emergency communications centers to receive and transmit various forms of data in an emergency using Internet-based call systems.Federal officials are investigating the possibility of transitioning all of the 911 systems in the country from phoneline-based to Internet-based systems. Internet-based, or IP, systems would allow agencies to share data with every other agency in the nation. During large-scale disasters, Internet-based systems would allow streamlined communication county to county or state to state.
Kosciusko County 911 Director Tom Brindle told the county commissioners Tuesday his department was selected to take part in the test because the Kosciusko center has been using an Internet-based system for more than a year.
"With IP, you can do so much more, and it's free," Brindle said.
According to the press release, the tests will help emergency officials improve access for the deaf or hearing-impaired by using communications services like video relay or text messaging; identify a caller's location over a landline, wireless or Internet connection; receive and transmit details of a disaster or auto accident; and improve the routing of emergency calls to streamline response time.
Other 911 centers chosen for the tests are in Rochester, N.Y.; Seattle, Wash.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Helena, Mont. For more information, visit www.its.dot.gov/NG911
