Thursday, November 29, 2007
YOUNGSTOWN — Between 80 and 90 percent of 911 calls today come from wireless telephones, so it’s increasingly important that such calls provide emergency workers with the best information possible to help people.
Maggi McGee, Mahoning County 911 director, said two contracts totaling $789,769 approved by Mahoning County commissioners Thursday will help do that.
Commissioners awarded a $623,560 contract to Michael Baker Jr. Inc. of Beaver, Pa. The company will assist the county with merging its 911 system and the county’s Geographical Information System, so that 911 call takers in cities, townships and all other jurisdictions can access better information from 911 cell phone calls.
A $166,209 contract was also awarded to Emergitech Inc. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for software.
When the merger and upgrades are complete in early 2009, call takers will be able to track the location of cell phone calls to within a small area, measured in yards rather than miles.
For more, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com