New radio system in place in 911 center
Wanda English Burnett - Editor
The progressive thinking and planning of Ripley
County 911 Director Judy Schebler has enabled the communications
center to become more efficient through the installation of
a new computerized radio system.
According to Schebler, the new
system combined the 800 radio and old radio consoles and
makes radio transition more efficient. "It's
a matter of officer safety and efficiency," she noted.
Schebler told the Commissioners the old radio system had been
used since 1991. She noted that there were areas of the county
where emergency personnel couldn't be heard and that could
create a problem with safety.
Another factor was the increase in radio traffic over the
past 14 years. Schebler noted it has increased ten times what
it used to be. This created a problem with the old system and
not all the radio traffic could be heard.
Before, dispatchers would have up to five different radio
sources at the same time to deal with. Now, it has been streamlined
into one. Dispatchers respond to officers from the sheriff's
department, five different police agencies, ten fire departments/extrication,
three rescue squads, paramedic unit, Task Unit 1, first responders,
conservation officers, base stations and EMA.
"The goal is to have all public safety agencies nationwide
with 800 MHZ capability," noted Lee Kissell, who is the
project manager with MobilComm, the company installing the
system. Schebler noted she had dealt with MobilComm since 1984
and they have provided professional service she says can be
counted on.
Kissell said the system will make it possible for every agency
to communicate without any difficulty. He noted that local
agencies will be able to communicate with any others, including
FBI and DEA agents. The 800 system became popular after September
11, 2001, when a communication breakdown was realized due to
varied equipment.
On Tuesday, December 20, Kissell
was still 'working out the bugs' in the system and was complimentary
of the Ripley County
dispatch center. "It's one of the cleanest I've ever been
in," he noted as he crawled under the desks and made adjustments
to hookups.
Dispatchers say the new system is great - having police, fire,
and EMS combined on one radio. Debbie Patton, who has been
using the old radio system since 1992 says she's in the process
of learning the new system, but thinks it will be more efficient
in the long run. Donna Million, another dispatcher with 911,
agreed.
The 911 center is now equipped with three computerized radios
compared to only having two stations before. The new system
also comes with a new recording computerized system that can
be vital for court records.
Schebler noted that the cost of
the system wasn't cheap, yet it didn't cost taxpayers extra
money. "The money was taken
from the 911 surcharge on phone bills," she noted. This
money had been saved for several years. Matter of fact, the
county had paid $135,000 for a new mapping GIS system in 2004.
That money was reimbursed by the state, since it was a mandated
project. The refund money was put back into savings and then
used again for the new radio system with Schebler saying, "We
got to spend that money twice."
The total cost of the new system including installation was
$184,934.67. Schebler says if it saves one life, it's worth
it.
WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO |
| Debbie Patton is learning the new 911 radio system.
The computerized screen directly in front of her is one
of three new computerized radios the dispatchers
will now use in the Ripley County 911 Emergency Center. Patton has been employed
with the county as a dispatcher since 1992. |
