Morgan Hill police dispatchers can take some cellular-phone
9-1-1 calls because of their new compter and phone system, but
Gilroy police will have to wait another month.
Morgan Hill police dispatchers can take some cellular-phone 9-1-1 calls because of their new compter and phone system, but Gilroy police will have to wait another month.
All emergency cell phone calls made in Santa Clara County currently go to California Highway Patrol dispatchers in Monterey, but the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury is pushing for a local switch, according to a report issued by the 2003-2004 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury.
That push has already begun and is expected to be complete for all agencies early next year. The first phase, which requires the wireless provider to supply all call centers with the callback number of the cellular call, is already in place.
The final phase, which requires wireless providers to furnish the geographic coordinates of the caller in addition to the phone number, will not be complete until the first quarter of 2005 for most cities, including Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
The new technology would allow the radio tower to trace the signal and direct the call to the nearest 9-1-1 response center.
The county is serviced by six major wireless companies, each of which has their own network of antennae with slight differences in the technology used for handling cellular calls.
The Morgan Hill Police Department recently upgraded its 9-1-1 system, and Verizon Wireless was the first cellular service to come on board with its own technology, making it possible for Verizon customers to dial the emergency number and be directly connected to local dispatchers.
Other wireless services were expected to follow Verizon, one service at a time, but to date only Verizon in Morgan Hill has taken advantage of the new technology.
Currently all cellular 9-1-1 calls in this area go through a centralized hub in Monterey, where the dispatcher will assess the call then re-direct it based on information the caller provides.
Currently, cell phone callers can reach local 9-1-1 centers by dialing a seven-digit number. Morgan Hill residents should call 779-2101, while those in San Martin should call 299-3233. The number for Gilroy’s center is 846-0354.
For a list of all seven-digit emergency numbers in the county, check the Federal Communications Center Web site at www.fcc.ares.races.org
