Many state sites preparing to roll out 911 upgrade

Some locations undecided on software’s cost, liability

The majority of Arkansas’ 911 dispatch locations have either begun using an enhanced 911 system paid for by the state or are preparing to, a spokesman for the system says.

Others, like the Little Rock Police Department, are still trying to decide whether to use the system at all.

In June, Arkansas became the first state to provide dispatchers with statewide access to the system, called Smart911. The software is owned by Rave Mobile Safety in Framingham, Mass.

More than 90 percent of the state’s 111 dispatch locations should be using the system by the end of the year, Bill Homer, the company’s director of client services, said Friday.

Homer gave a presentation about the company’s progress implementing the system to the Emergency Telephone Services Board in Little Rock.

He said progress has been slowed in part because of equipment installation going slowly.

Through the Smart911 system, Arkansans can choose to volunteer personal information to 911 dispatchers that will give emergency responders access to photos, medical history and other information.

Setting up a Smart911 profile, which includes whateverinformation a person chooses to put on the website, is free. Cities, counties and states then pay to have access to the database.

The state paid $1 million for statewide access to the Smart911 software. It will have an ongoing cost of $400,000 to $600,000 a year, and it is not clear whether the state or local jurisdictions will bear the cost.

The site - smart911.com - lets a person register and enter information about his home and the people who live there. The information can include photographs, allergies, special needs, blood types, number of pets and vehicles, or physical descriptors such as hair color and weight.

The profile cannot be created over the phone.

B oard member Gary Gray said people should create a profile because it is “what they can do to protect themselves before there is an emergency.”

Gray is also North Little Rock 911 operations manager.

Each participating dispatch location in Arkansas will be shipped a computer that will act as a server for the Smart911 software. It is then configured by AT&T to connect to the system, Homer said.

Dispatchers will also receive either in-person or video training on how to usethe system, he said.

According to the presentation from Rave, Smart911 is fully operational in 20 locations, including police departments in Conway, Springdale, Fayetteville, Van Buren, Paragould and Jonesboro.

Four more locations will launch Oct. 1. Those are Fort Smith Police Department and Craighead, Monroe and Pulaski counties.

Nearly all of the other dispatch locations have started the process, Homer said.

“We still have 11 [locations] who haven’t responded to multiple attempts to complete the survey,” the presentation states.

Little Rock Police Department is one of the departments that hasn’t responded, Homer said.

“There is some discussion that they may choose to not deploy Smart911,” Homer said.

Laura Martin, director of 911 for the City of Little Rock, said a decision hasn’t been made on when, or if, the city will use the service.

“We certainly do want the citizens to have a service that is available,” Martin said. “But we have to make sure that its something that once implemented is not a liability. We just haven’t made a decision.”

She said concerns include potential ongoing expenses and whether the city would be liable if problems occurred because of the system.

Gray said the state has paid for the first year of access to the software, but there is no dedicated funding stream for the ongoing cost.

If lawmakers don’t fund it, “it could fall back on the local jurisdiction,” he said.

Gray said the cost would be $1,500 per work station.

Martin said the city has 20 work stations.

Little Rock is updating itsradio system, and Martin said there are concerns about integrating Smart911 until the system is in place, possibly as soon as March 2013.

“It’s something we’ll do as soon as, technology-wise, it’s possible,” she said.

Martin said the Little Rock city attorney is evaluating whether the city should use Smart911, but the final decision will be made by City Manager Bruce Moore.

Homer said other jurisdictions that have been contacted by Rave but have not replied include Hempstead County, Marion County, Brinkley Police Department, Polk County, Arkansas State Police Troop A, Sevier County, Union County and Woodruff County.

Gray said the state intended for the system to be used by all dispatchers.

He gave the example of a person who lives in Benton, which uses Smart911, but who works in Little Rock.

“Essentially it creates a false sense of security,” Gray said. “That was the reason for the entire statewide effort, that no matter where an Arkansan would be in the state, their profile would be seen.”

Homer said 13 dispatch locations don’t have the equipment or Internet connectivity they need for the Smart911 system.

He estimated it could cost $13,000 to $26,000 to equip those locations. He warned there could be unexpected costs.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 15 on 09/23/2012

Upcoming Events