Enhanced 911 to be ready by mid-November

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

MERCER, Pa. — The Mercer County E-911 Center will be able to determine the location of cell phone calls by mid-November, officials said.

Russ Saylor, assistant director of Mercer County’s Emergency Management Agency, said Wednesday that once mapping software is completed about Nov. 11, the system will be online. Currently, the center can only determine the location of callers from land lines.

He added that calls from AT&T wireless phones will not be on the system until about a week later.

Mercer County E-911 Center has been undergoing nearly $1 million in upgrades in order to be able to locate the cell phone calls. The Phase II work that upgraded telephones at the center was completed Oct. 15.

The upgrade brings the county to Phase II compliance, which means that it can now apply for grants to reimburse some of the E-911 Center’s operating costs, Commissioner Brian Beader said.

The reimbursement, however, is contingent on how much revenue is available. The money comes from a $1 charge on cell phone bills, but cell phone companies also can apply for the funds.