Allowing the police to use GPS to pinpoint your cellphone's location during a 911 call is closer to reality according to an update given to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors Monday. The phase II upgrade of the Hinds County E-911 system moves closer towards completion. Blake Wallace, Hinds County Economic Developer Director, briefed the Board of Supervisors and said the county just finished remapping the county. The next step is enter the new data into the mapping system. However, 15% of the existing data is incorrect and corrections have to be made before the system can go "live". The corrections for Byram, Clinton, and Jackson will be made by those cities while Hinds County will perform the remainder of the corrections. Mr. Wallace said he could not give a timeline on when the project would be completed.
Phase II of E-911 allows the police to use GPS to determine the location of your cellphone if you use it to call 911. Very important if for some reason you can not talk when calling 911. Rankin, Madison, Warren, Copiah and over thirty other counties have had it for more than two years. Jackson is the only major city in Mississippi lacking the service. That's right. Hattiesburg, Greenville, Brookhaven, McComb, Collins, Laurel, Meridian, Natchez, Tupelo, even Oxford, provide the service.
Earlier posts:
WLBT: Hinds taxes for Phase II E-911, does not provide service
Rest of the story on Hinds failure to offer Phase II E-911
Map of counties without Phase II E-911
Here is the video of the meeting. Phase II discussion starts at 18:50.
3 comments:
This is a big deal not normally handled by a Blake Wallace type. People man live or die based on the quality of this system and it's data.If this is a typical Hinds county deal where money is paid to a consultant and little or poor work is done then that will not be good. Could this be different??
Mr. Wallace is a county employee. His department is responsible for GIS and mapping the county. The companies used for the work as far as I can tell, are fairly reputable.
Well, his department is not actually at department. It is an Authority tasked with bringing economic development to the County. They began the task of GIS mapping strictly for the purpose of economic development and as a tool for prospective clients to be able to see building size, property information, proximity to roads, schools, etc.
Why Mr. Wallace is being tasked with emergency 911 stuff is another example of the ineptness of the Hinds Co. Board and the people they put in charge of the E911. Then they complain when the Hinds County Economic Development Authority isn't bringing in business. Trust me they sure don't think it is the Obama and his job killing policies that are at fault! Considering who make up of some of the Authorities members, it is not hard to realize why. Of note, Mr. Wallace's right hand man, Benjie Barham has left leaving this important agency short handed. I can only shutter at who the members and the Hinds Co. Board will pick to replace him.
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