Coles County 911
History
A steering committee was formed to
study the need, feasibility, and preliminary implementation plans for
a county 9-1-1. In April, 1993, a referendum was passed by Coles
County voters approving a $1.95 telephone surcharge to fund an
enhanced 9-1-1 system. The Coles County Board made appointments to
the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) to oversee the
development and operation of the 9-1-1 system. Various committees
were formed to make recommendations to the ETSB regarding facilities
for the communications center, dispatching and 9-1-1 equipment,
readdressing issues, personnel, and implementation decisions. Public
safety dispatching services were consolidated utilizing state of the
art computer aided dispatch, and began operating in a new
communications center on March 17, 1997. The Illinois Commerce
Commission (ICC), a state agency that insures 9-1-1 systems comply
with certain regulations, granted approval for Coles County Enhanced
9-1-1 (E9-1-1) system to operate and the system went on-line May 5,
1997.
Nature of Business
Receive, disseminate, and document
emergency requests for the police, fire, and ambulance countywide
utilizing enhanced 9-1-1 technology routing 9-1-1 calls to the
communications center. The enhanced feature of the system displays
the caller's phone number, name, address, and the public safety
responders responsible for that location. The communications center
also handles non-emergency calls for multiple police, fire, and
ambulance agencies.
Qualities & Skills Needed for
Employment
Emergency services communications
requires a personnel that have the ability to make decisions quickly
based on certain policies and procedures, as well as common sense,
especially in stressful situations. They must have excellent
multi-tasking, selective listening, communications, and
organizational skills. Any background or training in law enforcement,
fire, or medical service is helpful. Computer aided dispatch requires
rapid computer data entry.
Impact of Changing Technologies
Wireless telephone communications and
the increasing use of this technology has required the government to
examine and address the lack of regulations concerning their access
to 9-1-1, lack of funding for 9-1-1 centers to handle wireless 9-1-1
calls , and the lack of technology to provide the 9-1-1 centers the
location of the caller. Computer aided dispatch has made dispatching
more efficient, and enhanced dispatchers' ability to maintain and
retrieve records for the responders.
Vision for 2020
Fully utilize all capabilities of the
computer aided dispatch, such as dispatching directly to responders
via mobile data computers, and adding automatic vehicle locators to
enhance response time and responder security. To implement enhanced
wireless 9-1-1 technology as it becomes available. These goals, as
well as others that may be required to stay abreast of changing
technology, will require upgraded and additional computer hardware,
software, and radio or data transmission technology. Funding future
technological changed will undoubtedly be a major concern.
Coles County E-911
10500 State Hwy 16, Suite 1
Mattoon, IL 61938
235-2924 or 345-2939
Special thanks to Toni Niles, E9-1-1
Director for supplying information to assist us with this
project.
Team members: Sagar Ravi and Doniyal
Karbassioon
Return to Charleston, IL: A 2020
Vision