NCJ Number
87018
Date Published
1979
Length
36 pages
Annotation
Current obstructions to the development of a 911 public safety telephone system in Delaware County, Pa., are identified, and steps that should be taken to develop such a system are described.
Abstract
In Delaware County, the municipal and county boundaries do not coincide with telephone company exchange areas, so it is the responsibility of the planners of a 911 system to resolve this problem in a way most suitable for the users. There are also currently different radio channels in operation. Twenty-seven of the police departments and various county agencies are dispatched by the county police radio dispatcher on five different radio channels. The county should follow the recommendations in the report, 'Police Radio Communications Plan for Delaware County.' When installed, this system will provide a unified radio system within the county. Zone channels would be established for the primary dispatching of all police agencies in the county. Countywide, data, and tactical channels are also provided. An expanded 911 (E911) telephone system should be made operational as soon as possible. The E911 system has more features than just the capability of routing an emergency call to a central location. E911 can include such features as automatic number identification, selective routing, and automatic number location. Public safety answering points should be established at the county central dispatching facility and at all police departments desiring to dispatch for themselves. In addition, the system should have an automatic transfer capability, so that any call for other than a police emergency may be transferred to the appropriate dispatcher. The 'Police Radio Communications Plan for Delaware County' is appended.