Published Nov. 24 in the Maysville Ledger-Independent

High tech emergency network envisioned for Mason County

By BETTY COUTANT
Staff Writer, Ledger-Independent

MAYSVILLE — Efforts by Maysville and Mason County to be at the leading edge of technology that will help emergency personnel respond to medical, criminal and environmental emergencies will be aided when the county receives its share of a cellular tax enacted by the General Assembly in 1994.

The area has stayed one step ahead of other areas of the state, having 911 service in place by the mid-1970s and Enhanced 911 years ahead of much larger communities.

“Lexington just now got E911 so we’re five or six years ahead of what is called our modern urban community,” Maysville City Manager Dennis Redmond said.
Several counties have joined together to ask that their portion of the $8 million the cellular charge has brought be used to allow them to join a regional network that directs 911 calls to a Kentucky State Police dispatcher who would then direct the call to the appropriate emergency service, Redmond said.

“In Maysville and Mason County KSP is not close by. That’s not good for a standardized dispatch,” Redmond said.

“The state police dispatcher will try to learn where you are, then call the appropriate dispatch. We think there’s a time problem with that,” Redmond said.
“We want to buy enough start-up equipment that if you call anyplace in Mason County it will come to a local dispatcher who knows were the Minerva Road (or any other road in the county) is,” Redmond said.

The county would like to link Ground Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology so callers who are unable to speak or are unaware what their position is may be found in an instant.

BACK TO NEWS INDEX

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

COMMENTS

Copyright © 2000 The Kentucky EMS Connection. All rights reserved. News stories may be copyrighted by another organization. Original material may be reproduced provided source is credited.