WHAT EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT 9-1-1

This page will be updated as specific situations with our E-911 for wireless system presents themselves that the public needs to be made aware of.

What you need to know about E-911 for Wireless
To get help quickly, be ready to answer these questions
FAQ for making a 9-1-1 call from your cell phone

Morton County Deploys Enhanced 911 for Wireless

Morton County is proud to announce the deployment of a new Enhanced 911 system. The new system will provide vital information such as cell caller location and cell phone number. Wireless carriers are in the process of implementing the new system and all local carriers are in the process of deployment. We expect to have everyone fully deployed by June 2008.

What is E-911 for Wireless?

Enhanced 911 for Wireless gives the Emergency Dispatcher, location information where the cell call is originating from and the cell phone number. They receive longitude and latitude coordinates as well as having a point displayed on a map of Morton County. They will also receive a cell tower address and the sector the call is being made from. As long as the caller does not hang up the Dispatcher is able to track the caller's movement. Precious time won't be lost trying to locate an accident or someone who needs assistance.

Help Them, Help You

House Numbers - One of the most important things you can do is to make sure your correct 911 address is posted on your residence and clearly visible from the street. This saves time, responding units won't waste precious minutes trying to figure out which house is yours.

If you don't know your 911 address, or would like to double check it to make sure it's correct, contact the agency responsible for 911 in your area, DO NOT call 911, call their business telephone number.

For 911 Address information in Morton County please contact Jeff in the Morton County Appraiser's Office at (620) 697-2106 or I.T. Manager Tracie Nixon at (620) 697-2210.

What you need to know about E-911 for Wireless.

As of right now some carriers' equipment is able to provide your 911 cell call information to the Emergency Dispatcher, as long as your cell phone has the GPS function and it is enabled. You can contact your cell phone carrier to verify that you have this function and how to check to see if it is enabled.
It is important that the caller stay on the line and not hang up. The new system is a tool and the dispatcher needs to verify certain information as well as obtain as much information from the caller as possible. This also gives the dispatcher the ability to track the caller's movements if by chance the caller is moving to a different location. You should never hang up any 911 call until the Emergency Dispatcher advises you to do so. If for some reason you can't continue to talk on the phone leave the call connected and put the phone down. This procedure should also be followed for 911 land line calls as well. Most of the time the Dispatcher can hear what is going on and that information can be relayed to responding units.
Please remember that you may not be able to hit a tower, your call can be dropped. Just because your phone shows you have service doesn't necessarily mean that your cell phone battery is strong enough to hit the tower. If the call is dropped, call back, the Dispatcher may not be able to call you back. During testing we found that after dialing 911 the phone being used advised that it couldn't receive calls and asked if you wanted the phone to return to it's original network settings.
During testing we found that when 911 was dialed you didn't hear the normal ring you do while making any other type of call. It will sound like the call isn't going through and then all of a sudden you will hear someone say 911 Emergency or you may have silence then a busy signal. The important thing to remember is that it may take a few seconds for the call to connect and if you don't get through the first time keep trying. While in the Western part of the County 3 attempts were made before getting through.
Make sure you are speaking with a 911 Communications Center. There have been instances where the 911 call was received by private parties. At no time will a 911 operator answer a call saying hello. They will answer by identifying their agency or by saying 911 or 911 Emergency. Again Do Not automatically assume you are speaking with 911.
Please DO NOT pre-program your cell phone to dial 911 and remember to lock your number pad. This prevents accidental 911 calls.
It is extremely important to remember that not every 911 Communications Center in the State of Kansas or around the Country has E-911 for Wireless. Don't assume your information is being given to the Dispatcher, stay on the line until the Dispatcher instructs you to hang up.

To get help quickly, be ready to answer these questions:

Try to remain as calm as possible, speak slowly and clearly. This saves time, the dispatcher won't have to ask you to repeat yourself several times because they can't understand what your saying.

Where is the emergency? Use highway name, direction of travel, mile marker, intersection, landmarks, etc. Always give your location information first, regardless if it is a wire line call or wireless call. NEVER assume the dispatcher has your location information. If the call is disconnected or lost they can still send help because they have your location. The agency receiving your call may not have Enhanced 911 or Enhanced 911 for Wireless.

What number are you calling from? Always give your area code and phone number your calling from. The dispatcher may need to call you back to get further information or because the call was disconnected.

What exactly has happened? Clearly describe what has taken place, for example:

What is on fire?
Is the person conscious and breathing?
Is anyone injured?
Number of Suspects?
Is the suspect still there?
Is the suspect armed, if so with what?
Where was the suspect last seen and their direction of travel?
Vehicle and suspect descriptions are important.

Dispatchers need to know what happened and other information so the appropriate resources can be dispatched.

How did the new system come about?

In 2004 the Kansas Legislature enacted the Wireless Enhanced 911 Act. The law requires state wide implementation of Enhanced 911 for Wireless by 2010. The Act also set up a grant program to provide funding for local agencies that provide Emergency Communications, they are called Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP), to make the required improvements to establish Enhanced 911 for Wireless (E-911W).

Over the past three years the Morton County Commissioners have been researching E-911W. They met with representatives from surrounding counties and communities, APCO International (Association of Public Safety Communications Officers), and NineOneOne, Inc. several times over the past few years. In 2006 Morton County applied for a grant from the State of Kansas E-911 for Wireless Grant Program.

In 2007 the Grant application was approved and implementation of a new E-911 system began. Local telephone and cellular companies were notified of our intent to implement E-911W, orders for equipment and mapping were placed. Our new 911 system was purchased from NineOneOne, Inc. They have designed and installed 911 systems for hundreds of agencies over the years. Mapping has been provided by Native Communities Development Corporation (NCDC). NCDC has developed a Master Street Addressing Guide, and a detailed map of Morton County that will be used in the new 911 system.

Throughout 2007 preparations were made for the installation of the new equipment, local telephone companies worked together to provide the necessary lines and equipment. Jeff Milburn, with the Appraiser's Mapping Department and IT Manager, Tracie Nixon, worked with NCDC to develop the Master Street Addressing Guide and a base map of Morton County. They provided addressing and mapping information and drove to locations to answer questions NCDC had asked. Tracie Nixon is also acting as the E-911 Project Coordinator. She has worked with and continues to work with all parties involved in the project. County Clerk, Mary Gilmore is the Certifying Official for the State E-911W Grant program and Morton County Treasurer, Vicki Peacock is the Financial Officer for the program. The County Board of Commissioners are the monitoring board overseeing the project. Chairman of the Board, Bob Boaldin was named as a member of the State E-911 for Wireless Grant Program Board after being nominated by the Kansas Association of Counties. The Grant Board reviews all of the applications, determines what agencies will receive Grant money and how much money they will get.

We would like to Thank everyone involved with this project for their outstanding cooperation and determination to get this very important system up and running.