Police Chief’s Courier Report

July 2009

            The 911 phone system has been a major boon for both police and fire services in that emergency situations get a higher priority.  Enhanced 911 helped by providing  the name, location and phone number of the caller to dispatch centers. For person(s) who became incapacitated or unable to communicate, there was an assurance that someone from the safety forces would be directed to the location of the call to determine what was happening.  With each advance of this system, problems would arise.   

            Cell phones provided a unique challenge for 911 as the location of the caller became transient.  Dispatch was not provided a location and often the caller was unsure of their exact location.  As cell phones became more common, this minor problem became a major one.  Technology finally advanced to the point where cell call locations could be found by using a triangulation method with cell towers. 

            The Lake County Emergency Operations Center agreed to assume the responsibility of taking these cellular 911 calls and routing them to the police departments where the call was originating.   This may mean that your 911 call may be routed a number of times until help can arrive.  As with past 911 issues, it will become easier but we ask for your patience in the meantime. 

Michael T. Lazor, Chief of Police