Escambia County Public Safety Department’s 911 system is getting a facelift. The department is rolling out a brand-new emergency response program called “Next Generation 911.” This program could make the difference between life and death for some users. Every second matters in a crisis and that’s what this new system is all about, getting dispatchers more information faster than before.
Next Generation 911 was designed to cut down on emergency response times and give first responders more information about the caller. “So when the call comes in, we get accurate location of where you are,” said Escambia County’s Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “And that’s very helpful for areas such as bordering counties or bordering state lines.”
The new platform can pinpoint a caller’s location better than before. That way, calls are sent to the correct dispatch center. “…We’ve had calls get mixed between Santa Rosa County and Escambia County because they’re right there, either crossing over the bridge between the two counties or right there at the line,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore says this program helps to avoid that. “…Now as you call in, our call taker can see where you are on the map and make sure that we’re sending you to the our responders to the right location,” Gilmore said.