I truly like the benefits of technology.
As long as its used for good and not evil purposes, of course.
This, IMHO, is a good purpose however; despite those who will complain its a violation of their privacy.
New 9-1-1 system shows location map
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These days, the moment a New Braunfels police and county sheriff’s dispatcher answers a 9-1-1 call, a map shows up on a screen and help is on the way before a single word is spoken.
Since Friday, anyone calling the police station is automatically tracked with a global positioning system through their phone – both landlines and cell phones.
The system, called Viper 9-1-1, was free to the New Braunfels police department from the Bexar Metro 9-1-1 network, which set up four computers with monitors and the necessary software to run the programs, said Lt. Michael Penshorn, police spokesman.
The police department, which also does dispatch for fire and emergency services workers, now has a more advanced map that shows where a caller is to within a matter of yards. The caller’s phone number, address and any names connected to the address are also displayed. Dispatchers are able to zoom in to a satellite image of the caller’s location, which is located by GPS for landlines or triangulation from cell towers.
The main advantage of the new system, Penshorn said, is that now officers will have a relatively accurate location for a caller if something happens to them and the call is disconnected.
Of the 43 agencies in the Bexar Metro system, NBPD is the fourth to get the system, along with the Seguin Police Department, Comal County Sheriff’s Office and Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, Penshorn said.
Dispatchers trained to use the system at the Bexar Metro 9-1-1 network district offices in San Antonio.
The department has fielded roughly 400 to 500 calls already with the system since it went live, Penshorn said.
In addition, the system connects dispatchers to an AT&T language line that has translators on call who interpret for callers who don’t speak English or are hearing-impaired, the latter through a touch key method.
Officers are also able to automatically play back recorded calls, which are saved indefinitely.
“The community we serve benefits the most from a system like this because it increases our chance of keeping them safe,” Penshorn said.
