Caledonia Argus

Quick response propelled by address changes, new software

Posted: 1/22/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

Houston County residents will now receive faster 911 service, thanks to the installation of a tracking system that shows the callerís exact location on a map.

Over the past three years, the county has been preparing for the software upgrade by giving new addresses to its rural homes and installing road signs.

The county has received over $230,000 in state aid for the upgrade and has spent $46,000 on new signs. The townships have also shared in the cost of the signs.

While visiting the sheriffís dispatch center, The Argus saw first hand how the new system worked. A 911 call came through indicated by the sound of a siren. Non-911 calls have a regular ring.

In this instance, the caller hung up and did not speak. So, dispatch called the number back. The dispatch center has two new monitors. A small map popped up on one screen showing where in the county the call originated. A larger map indicated the callerís exact location.

Information was immediately available on the personís name, address and phone number.

On another screen, a list displayed the appropriate fire and ambulance responders that would need to be called to respond to an emergency.

After calling the number back, it was discovered that a small child had called 911.

Several years ago, 911 hang-ups by children or people who were involved in a domestic situation caused quite a problem for the sheriffís office. The phone company was sometimes contacted to trace the call in the middle of the night. The process was time consuming and it would take over an hour before the deputies reached the scene or were able to call back.

Even after the sheriffís office received the ability to know the callerís phone number several years ago, Judy Fabian, dispatcher for 16 years, remembers going through lists of phone numbers in the county trying to locate the callerís address.

She says this system is a big improvement. ìIt saves me time and money and is more accurate as for picking which responders (to call), especially if I have three 911s going on.î

The 911 system will receive enhancements along the way said E-911 Coordinator Dan Krzoska. Now that the system has been installed, Krzoska will be responsible for updating the database of addresses and making sure all the information is accurate.

There are still only a few areas where 911 service for the county is hampered. Locations of cell phone users can not be pinpointed and there are some areas where cell phones simply do not work.

Houston County Jail Administrator/ 911 Supervisor Mark Schiltz listed the location of those areas: spots between Hokah and La Crescent, near Sheldon, in Jefferson township, Crooked Creek township, the city and area of Freeburg.

ìPeople usually stop at a farmhouse or report at the nearest residence,î said Schiltz when their cell phone does not work.

Calls have two second delay

Because 911 calls are routed through the countyís IES (Independent Emergency Services) it will take 3-4 rings before the call is answered. The 911 dispatch does not hear the first two rings.

ìIt takes a few seconds to process. They (IES) could either keep it quiet or put in rings. They found out that people hang up because they think it didnít go through,î explained Schiltz.

Schiltz estimates the delay has been happening for at least a year and a half, which is how long theyíve been hooked up with IES.

There is also a slight delay with the sheriffís office regular business number 725-3379. Dispatch picked up the phone on the second ring, while it was the first for them.

Schiltz said the delay may occur because the call is being processed first through the courthouseís phone system.

Houston County: ahead of the rest

Houston County is ahead of other area counties in its enhanced 911 system.

Winona, Fillmore and Wabasha counties still do not have the advanced mapping that Houston County has implemented. ìLooking at our county and other counties we are way ahead,î said Schiltz.

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