The Marion County Board’s representative to the 911 Emergency Telephone Board told the county board’s Law Enforcement Committee Wednesday night that a computer-aided dispatch and record management system has been selected for the county.
Steve Whritenour called the new system from ID Networks “as second to none”.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about saving lives. When someone calls 911 we do have the technology and capability of pinpointing that location of where they are at and then also being able to dispatch fire, EMS, police to the scene and get them the correct and proper information.”
Whritenour cited as an example that cell phone calls now in rural areas may only show the location of a call within three to five miles while the new system will be able to pinpoint locations to within a few hundred yards. It will also provide information for dispatchers to know the location of squad cars to allow for the best unit to be sent to respond to a call.
The program replaces the current record management system that has been subject to numerous operational problems in recent years. Among the advantages is allowing officers to complete reports in their car and only having to come to the station to print them off.
Whritenour says the system will cost $360,000 to install in the two 911 dispatch centers that are at the Salem and Centralia Police stations. The county board’s law enforcement committee agreed to recommend the county pick up the $81,000 cost to install the program at the sheriff’s department. ID Networks is offering to allow the county to pay for the system over five years at no interest. The full county board will be asked to approve the expenditure at its full meeting Tuesday night.
As far as how soon the new system can be in place, Whritenour says.
“It takes 6-9 months to complete. At the last 911 meeting we approved going with ID Networks and now moving forward I hope by June or July of 2021 this is fully operational. The 911 Center in Centralia will be complete by then and we will have this new software in place.”
Whritenour says the system is one of three that were studied. He says amazingly everyone agreed on the same system which also much less expensive than the other finalist.
Marion County Board Law Enforcement Committee and 911 Emergency Phone Board Steve Whritenour member explains new computer-aided dispatch and record management system to law enforcement committee members Wednesday night.
