911 Centers Outdated Technology Can't Always Locate Callers - Ending in Death
We have a real infrastructure vulnerability that many of us are not aware of… It’s a common belief that a 911 emergency call is infallible but now we find out, it is anything but, when your life depends upon it. A 911 cell phone call can’t always identify your location when minutes matter. How very cruel for a victim (and their loved ones) to hope there will be a rescue and then suffer the unbearable moments waiting, before they die. I have a friend whose niece experienced this and lost her life. When it hits your own existence, it becomes a grievous reality and not just something, that happens to other people. What a reprehensible failure for our democracy, a warning message should have been blasting its way across media outlets that you can’t always trust your 911 mobile calls; perhaps if victims had known this; they would have exhausted other means to save themselves.
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Many 911 Centers Can't Locate Callers Because of Old Technology
BY JEFF ROSSEN AND CHARLES MCLRAVY
DURING AN EMERGENCY, THE TIME IT TAKES BETWEEN CALLING 911 FROM YOUR CELL PHONE AND WHEN FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVE ON-SCENE CAN MAKE THE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
BUT IN THESE LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS, WHEN EVERY SECONDS, CAN YOU RELY ON THE 911 SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY FIND YOU IN TIME?
A NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND THAT MANY 911 CENTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY STILL RELY ON DATED TECHNOLOGY INSTEAD OF SOMETHING AS WIDELY USED AS GOOGLE MAPS, WHICH MEANS DISPATCHERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND YOU WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. EXPERTS CALL IT A PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS, STATING THAT THE MAJORITY OF WIRELESS CALLS TO 911, SOME 60 PERCENT OF CALLERS, CANNOT BE LOCATED BY EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS.
AND THE CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. NONE MORE SO THAN THE CASE OF SHANELL ANDERSON, WHO DIED IN DECEMBER AFTER ACCIDENTALLY DRIVING INTO A POND IN SUBURBAN ATLANTA. AS HER SUV BEGAN TO SINK, ANDERSON CALLED 911 FOR HELP BUT DESPITE REPEATING HER LOCATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DISPATCHERS COULDN'T FIND HER ON THEIR MAP. IT TOOK NEARLY 20 MINUTES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO GET TO HER — SHE DIDN'T SURVIVE.
BUT IN THESE LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS, WHEN EVERY SECONDS, CAN YOU RELY ON THE 911 SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY FIND YOU IN TIME?
A NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND THAT MANY 911 CENTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY STILL RELY ON DATED TECHNOLOGY INSTEAD OF SOMETHING AS WIDELY USED AS GOOGLE MAPS, WHICH MEANS DISPATCHERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND YOU WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. EXPERTS CALL IT A PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS, STATING THAT THE MAJORITY OF WIRELESS CALLS TO 911, SOME 60 PERCENT OF CALLERS, CANNOT BE LOCATED BY EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS.
AND THE CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. NONE MORE SO THAN THE CASE OF SHANELL ANDERSON, WHO DIED IN DECEMBER AFTER ACCIDENTALLY DRIVING INTO A POND IN SUBURBAN ATLANTA. AS HER SUV BEGAN TO SINK, ANDERSON CALLED 911 FOR HELP BUT DESPITE REPEATING HER LOCATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DISPATCHERS COULDN'T FIND HER ON THEIR MAP. IT TOOK NEARLY 20 MINUTES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO GET TO HER — SHE DIDN'T SURVIVE.
FIRST PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 23RD 2015, 6:32 PM
MORE HERE: HTTP://WWW.NBCNEWS.COM/NIGHTLY-NEWS/MANY-911-CENTERS-CANT-LOCATE-CALLERS-BECAUSE-OLD-TECHNOLOGY-N311391 ALSO CHECK OUT THE HAUNTING 911 CALL FROM BRIANNA COON AGE 17 AND FIRST COAST NEWS LOST ON LINE - CAN 911 FIND YOU?
posted by thinkingblue at 11:28 AM
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