East Hartford Debuts Next Generation 911 System
The Town of East Hartford has completed implementation of a new Next Generation 911 system. This emergency answering system, headquartered in the Public Safety Communications Center at the East Hartford Public Safety Complex on School Street, uses new statewide technology implemented by the State of Connecticut in partnership with AT&T.
“This next generation public safety answering system is a significant and important improvement to our emergency response capability,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc. “This system greatly improves our ability to respond to 911 calls from cellphones, which have greatly increased in recent years. This new system is an investment in the security and welfare of our residents.”
“The safety of our community is paramount,” said Chief of Police Scott Sansom. “It is vital that our agency keep up technological developments to continue to provide the best services we can to our community.”
Implementation of this system, which went online in early August, has been a major initiative of the East Hartford Police Department, which manages the Public Safety Communications Center, and receives and responds to calls for service for police, fire and medical services. A notable improvement of the new system is the ability to exactly pinpoint the location of 911 calls made by cellular telephones, which under the previous system could only be localized to the location of the cell phone tower. This presented a major difficulty for 911 calls made near borders with neighboring municipalities. The new system also includes updated equipment, a more details mapping system, and a new user interface. Future improvements may include text-to-911, the ability to transmit photos or videos, and call 9-11 directly over the internet, which will become available as the functionality is implemented statewide.
The East Hartford Public Safety Communications Center is one of 104 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) across Connecticut. Staffed on a twenty-four hour basis, these call centers receive 911 calls and dispatch emergency response services, or transfer or relay 911 calls to other public safety agencies. PSAPs serve as the first point of contact for the public in an emergency and are an integral part of the emergency services in our community. PSAPs in Connecticut receive over 2 million emergency calls each year, of which close to 80% come from cellular phones. In the first quarter of 2017, the East Hartford Public Safety Communications Center received 7,166 calls through the 911 system. Of those calls, 5,499 were received via a cellular phone.