Many Disp Center not able to Track cell phone calls in Colo

[jimmnn]

(CBS4) DENVER According to the Federal Communications Commission, one-third of all 911 emergency calls are made from cell phones. Technology exists for a dispatcher to immediately know the exact location such a call is coming from, but some areas in Colorado have not been successful in locating callers.

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_138204547.html

Jim<

 

[MikeyB]

(CBS4) DENVER According to the Federal Communications Commission, one-third of all 911 emergency calls are made from cell phones. Technology exists for a dispatcher to immediately know the exact location such a call is coming from, but some areas in Colorado have not been successful in locating callers.

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_138204547.html

Jim<

I have 3 thoughts on this.

1)When I'm in the mountains, I'm lucky to get any kind of signal. While cell phones are a nice luxury, people tend to think they are a cure-all. In my experience it's a bit of a miracle he got a 911 center of any kind.

2)When you're on top of a 14er (or near the top), what is the amount of time it would take for emergency help to get there and what is the survival rate once he stopped breathing?

3)Reading the federal deadline, is it the cell phone companies responsbility to have phones that transmit or the dispatch centers to have equipment to locate? It sounds likes it is both, but it says the phone companies missed the deadline. Was it that they need to replace all phones currently in use with new ones that transmit, or only have all new phones with that capability? What about people using old cell phones - is it the company's responsibility? Who is giving money to the dispatch centers for this capability?

While this is an unfortunate incident, it seems like the media using an extreme example to make a story. How about the phenomena of calling 911 and getting put on hold for 5 - 10 minutes? That makes the news, but what do you do in an emergency? I know it doesn't happen all of the time, but either does the problem getting described in the story.

 

[yooperinco]

Hmmmmmm.........

Seems to be a trend here.....
State wants everyone on DTRS, yet won't pay for the radios, or a bunch of new towers so the counties that can't afford them can get on the system.....

Feds want every dispatch center to have this new program, yet they won't pay the counties who can't afford it so they can buy the program.......

Would be nice if state/federal government would stop pushing all their demands on the counties with no financial help......

 

[N_Jay]

Seems to be a trend here.....
State wants everyone on DTRS, yet won't pay for the radios, or a bunch of new towers so the counties that can't afford them can get on the system.....

Feds want every dispatch center to have this new program, yet they won't pay the counties who can't afford it so they can buy the program.......

Would be nice if state/federal government would stop pushing all their demands on the counties with no financial help......

Big difference as the locals do get wireless 911 funds.

 

[n4voxgill]

In most places there is a monthly fee on each cellphone line that covers the cost for both the carrier and the 911 center. This is the same type fee that is collected on wire line phones to cover the 911 costs for operating that system.

Part of the problem lies with governments using 911 for purposes other than the 911 telephone system be it wired or wireless.

Some 911 centers have drug their feet on this requirement and it is time for the FCC to start enforcing the rule. There was plenty of time given for both the carrier and PSAP to get ready.

People think that when they use their cell phone that if they call 911 in an emergency that it will work like if they dial from home. It doesn't work that way in most parts of the nation. There have been cases of people carjacked and being able to dial 911 on their cell phone, but are unable to talk because the bad guy is right there with them. People have been lost or in one case in Miami a car drove into a retention pond and the caller could not get out of the car and died because location was unknown by the caller and 911 had no idea where they were. Perhaps it would be safer if cell phones could not call 911 and people wouldn't feel secure like they erroneously do now.

Fees are paid, but service is not provided. Something bad wrong.

 

[n4voxgill]

Colorado law on 911 charges:

Colorado Statutes : TITLE 29 GOVERNMENT - LOCAL : MISCELLANEOUS : ARTICLE 11 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE AND NONEMERGENCY REFERRAL SERVICES : PART 1 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SERVICE : 29-11-102. Imposition of charge

 

[evilklown]

that is pretty scarey to know you have your cell phone and in an emergency they cant find you, that is crazy all this money they have and they dont use it to get things straight.

 

[cstockmyer]

The 911 system down here in town is not much better. In 2004 my brother died at my parents house, and when they called 911 it came up with an address they have never lived at, in a totally different town. I think the 911 system as a whole needs help. But that's just me.

 

[datainmotion]

Fees are paid, but service is not provided. Something bad wrong.

That's ridiculous. Who's job is it to enforce this? PUC?

 

[Thayne]

Another problem is people like me that keep stuffing their old cellphone guts into different cases (Cause I break em about twice a year while working).
Verizon won't activate any older phones nowadays, and since I often travel to rural areas of Colo I like my old Tri-band StarTac. The fancy new ones won't work out in the boonies.
They tried to force me into a new one but backed off when I said I would cancel the service.
(If they would send out Michelle Pfeifer with a new one I would probably take it)
My time is almost up because I just have 2 old phones left for scavenging parts.

 

[greenthumb]

...they could probably rephrase this article to say "Many Disp Center throughout United States not able to Track cell phone calls" - this technology has not been widely deployed in PSAPs anywhere, to date.

 

[SLWilson]

Technology &quot;there&quot; Need help paying!!!

...they could probably rephrase this article to say "Many Disp Center throughout United States not able to Track cell phone calls" - this technology has not been widely deployed in PSAPS anywhere, to date.

You are ABSOLUTELY correct in your statement. In Ohio, we have only 4 of 88 counties "on line" to track cell calls. AND THEN, the cell user has to have one of the "newer" phone that has the GPS stuff in it.

We'll eventually get there. Just take a little time.

Ohio has a funding method in place now for the PSAP's and the counties are starting to tap into it....

Steve/Gallia

 

[RISC777]

They didn't know where I was today when I called in on the RTD bus that ran me off into on-coming traffic. heh

 

[greenthumb]

Ohio has a funding method in place now for the PSAP's and the counties are starting to tap into it....

This is another good point. Funding from the 911 service fee will only get an agency so far - it takes a LOT more than just that single source to fund these systems, which will most likely require a forklift replacement of existing systems. Not to mention that wireless carriers have to implement the location capability on their network infrastructure and subscribers.

It is on the way, but a long way off. I know that within the past couple of years, cellular providers have finally gotten the tower to transmit the actual cellular telephone number of the caller (instead of the tower itself) along with which 120-degree antenna face that the call is being placed off of. That took quite some time, and I would believe that the location-based 911 will take several years, too.

In the meantime, we'll all be patient

 

[RISC777]

In the meantime, we'll all be patient

Or/And patients.

 

[rfburns]

(If they would send out Michelle Pfeifer with a new one I would probably take it)

You could always go visit her at her mansion just west of Kremmling. You'd have to get thru the electric gate first tho.

 

[Thayne]

Well, I'm glad she has a place that close. I bet she wouldn't deliver a phone for Verizon or anybody else just to give an old horndog like me a "Fantasy fullfillment"--or a phone
:wink:

 

[NeFire242]

Even then you have to realize people still need to know where they are when they call 911 even if their GPS enabled phones tell dispatch their locations. Things can still go wrong if this system worked flawlessly today, think of people porting their number, or roaming agreements between companies. What a nightmare to have to deal with all of this.