HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 11-05 City to get 911 phone system THE REVIEW City to get 911
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Every day, emergencies occur that doesn't know what number to call.If a
require public safety officials to be person calls us and they are in St.Paul,
summoned in a hurry. we immediately relay their call to the St.
In these crisis situations a delay of a Paul Police Department."All police and
few minutes can be a life and death emergency rescue departments in the
matter. metropolitan area use this cooperative
Occasionally,the time that it takes to method,he adds.
look up the phone number of a police,fire "Of course, using a three digit
or ambulance service can waste the extra telephone number will be faster in an
seconds that are needed to save a life. emergency.But on the other side of the
Maplewood, along with other com- coin,there will be people who will prefer
munities in the Metropolitan area, are to dial the three digits instead of seven in
planning to implement a new telephone order to get the time of day."
emergency system that should make it Schaller says his department will try to
easier for the average citizen to quickly promote the 911 system as a priority
summon help. emergency number only.People will be
With the new system, Maplewood advised to use it only when they need
residents will be able to make an police,fire,paramedic,ambulance or a
emergency call for help by simply dialing combination of these services,he states.
911. Included in the 911 system that
After placing the call, a computer Maplewood is ordering will be a visual
system will route the emergency call to (video)display machine.When a person
the appropriate public safety department. places an emergency call, the police
State law dictates that all cities in the dispatcher will be able to have the per-
metro area have the 911 system in son'stelephone number,name,and street
operation by December 1982. The address listed on the visual display
Maplewood City Council recently machine.Other special information may
authorized Richard Schaller, public be given like listing if a disabled or
safety director,to order equipment for handicapped person lives at the
the telephone system. residence.
Schaller does not know when the system If a business uses the 911 number,
will be in operation in Maplewood. He certain limited information such as if
emphasized it will be working in the city hazardous materials are stored at the
by the 1982 deadline. place would be listed on the display
Schaller says he has doubts about the machine,Schaller said.
new 911 telephone emergency system. Many other cities around the nation and
"It is a wonderful system,"Schaller some in Minnesota, including Duluth,
states, "but I am concerned about its already have the 911 emergency number
effectiveness in relation to the amount system in operation,Schaller said.
that it is going to cost." The metropolitan area has lagged
The estimated bill on a one-time in- behind these cities because of the large
stallation basis for Maplewood is$12,124. number of telephone exchanges and
The city will be charged an estimated companies involved here.
recurring cost of$567 per month.These "Ramsey County is a simple area
fees will be paid with city property tax because it has only one telephone corn-
revenues. pany,Northwestern Bell,operating in it.
"The one thing that sells 911 is that However, Hennepin County has 12
people on the street corner who don't companies,"Schaller said.
know what telephone number to call in an "When you start trying to coordinate all
emergency will be able to quickly dial the these companies and telephone ex-
three digit number,"Schaller says. changes into one computer system it gets
"1-llowever, we have yet to have it very involved and takes a lot of time,"he
happen that a person on the street corner explains.