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| Wilson: Help Is Here with Better E-911 Technology |
November 04, 2003 |
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| Washington, DC – In an emergency, knowing where a 9-1-1 caller is can make all the difference. Emergency responders do not yet have the technology to locate wireless callers in most of the country, including New Mexico.
That will soon change under a bill cosponsored by Congresswoman Heather Wilson and approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives. The E-911 Implementation Act of 2003 makes the technology available to find cell phone users who are in trouble. The House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee, on which Wilson serves, passed this legislation in September.
“Now more than half of all 911 calls come from wireless phones,” Wilson said. “More than 140,000 wireless calls are placed each day to 911.”
“Emergency responders should not have to depend on potentially distraught callers for directions, but most of the country does not yet have technology to guide the rescue team to the spot,” Wilson continued. “Implementing this system will be a great step forward for public safety.”
The majority of the nation’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), including New Mexico’s, do not have the equipment in place to precisely guide responders to the location of the emergency. By contrast, when people call from a regular telephone, their address automatically appears on the 911 operator’s computer.
John Garcia, President of the Albuquerque Area Firefighters, last month called the action an important development, and an opportunity to improve public safety services. “We’ve been working on getting a system in New Mexico. Right now, all we get is the company’s main address or the caller’s phone number. If the caller passes out or has trouble communicating, we have no clue where they are,” Garcia said. “With a new system, at least we’ll have the vicinity. That’s a big plus for us.”
The E-911 Implementation Act of 2003 (H.R. 2898) does the following:
Authorizes $100 million per year for five years to upgrade PSAP facilities.
Establishes an E-911 Coordination Office to improve communication between federal, state and local public safety officials.
Directs the Federal Communication Commission to review E-911 implementation in rural areas.
“This system will save lives,” Wilson concluded. “Eliminating those moments of uncertainty can make all the difference to an injured person waiting for help.”
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