911 system gets latest mapping update

When a 911 call comes into the Perkins County Communications Center, dispatchers can now pinpoint where a call comes from.

Recent upgrades to the center’s new 911 system, which went online in December 2020, have added mapping capabilities to aid dispatchers on which county emergency units to send.

Perkins County Sheriff Jim Brueggeman said the most recent upgrade adds satellite imagery to the mapping software. 

The upgrade also overlays the boundary lines for the county’s  fire districts and EMS units on the mapping. 

So when a 911 land line call is made to the dispatch center, the system gives the address of where the call was made. 

On a cell phone call, the software uses the cell tower location sending the call. That information is then used to pinpoint the location or address the call came from. 

If the call is from a remote rural area, say for instance a corn field, the system also provides the latitude and longitude of the call to help locate the caller. 

Having fire and EMS districts clearly outlined on the maps allows dispatchers to use a single mouse click to page the appropriate emergency units. 

Brueggeman said they summon all departments for car accidents, structure fires, grass fires and ambulance calls. So with one click, all departments can be paged at once. 

In addition to the mapping, the phone number, the number that person’s assigned to, the address and other pertinent information is also displayed. 

If the caller has previously notified the dispatch center of any health or special conditions or needs, that information is also displayed. 

During the interview for this story, a 911 call was placed with a cell phone. 

As soon as the call same in, the map showed which cell tower the call was coming from. Moments later, it pulled up the address of the courthouse as the location for the call.

Presently, cell calls made on the Viaero network go to the Keith County dispatch center and are then transferred to Perkins County. Brueggeman said sometime in the next four months, Viaero will be directing their local calls to the Perkins County center.

He said it’s not unusual for dispatch to take a 911 call where the caller has hung up, realizing they called 911 by mistake. 

Using caller ID provided by the system, they call the number back. That way they can determine is the call was a mistake or if someone is indeed in need of help.

Brueggeman said cell phone users can also text 911 as well.  Texts can then be exchanged to determine if an emergency exists. 

The system also has the capability to determine if the caller needs teletype relay due to hearing issues.

Technology continues to improve the center, Brueggeman said. 

He remembers when they used a pen and paper and typewriters to take down information. 

How times have changed for the better.