Area Enhanced 911 plan waits on program

Some 4,000 phone numbers have to be redirected.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — Enactment of Columbiana County’s Enhanced 911 emergency telephone plan has hit another snag: the current basic 911 service.

The problem affects only phones in Columbiana.

Robert Emmons, the county’s 911 director, said Friday that it affects about 4,000 customers. That’s 4,000 of about 35,000 land lines in the county.

The Enhanced 911 program is about one year behind schedule because of delays by subdivisions in presenting information on boundaries that will direct calls to five answering points when the system is completed. E-911 will automatically show a dispatcher the caller’s address, even if the caller can’t speak; basic 911 does not have the address feature.

When completed, the county sheriff’s office and Salem, Columbiana, East Palestine and East Liverpool will handle calls for specific areas.

Emmons said that he hopes to get information from AT&T soon on a possible computer program that could streamline a solution.

The county essentially needs a computer program to search and replace the name “Columbiana” in AT&T’s records.

If such a solution can be made, only 150 phone numbers would remain to be classified within the system to get it up and running.

Without a program, it could take up to six months to redo the information by hand.

History

Basic 911 service was started in the county about 10 years ago. Columbiana, East Liverpool, East Palestine and the county sheriff’s office answered calls.

The city of Columbiana is in both Mahoning and Columbiana counties.

When the basic system was started, AT&T designated each telephone routed to Columbiana.

In AT&T’s records, the name “Columbiana” — for the city — was entered in the location field to route calls to city safety forces.

Under the Enhanced 911 program, the name “Columbiana” — the county — is being entered in the AT&T’s records under the “community” field.

Almost everything else for the system is in place, Emmons said.

East Palestine is completing its move into its new dispatching center.

Under the new system, AT&T will oversee the addition and deletion of phone numbers.

AT&T has said it wants 99 percent of the numbers correct before the system starts.

wilkinson@vindy.com