The Next Generation 9-1-1 Solution will make an improvement to 911 capabilities in Orange County by enabling technology to provide 911 centers with latitude and longitude coordinates for landline and wireless callers. It will also allow callers to utilize texting and video.
Jim Groves, director of emergency services for Orange County, said the new system would allow people to contact 911 even if they cannot make a phone call due to emergency circumstances.
“Next Gen 9-1-1 will support texts and, in the future, video to 911,” Groves said. “With Next-Generation 9-1-1, for example, 911 centers can see where the caller is, where the closest responder is and where the closest hospital is to the person in need.”
Groves said the new system would be able to access other 911 centers’ information to aid in emergency response.
Commissioner Barry Jacobs said the county already fully funds the 911 emergency response center, and the shift to new technology would be eligible for funding from the North Carolina 911 Board Emergency Telephone Fund.
Groves said the one-time setup fee for Orange County would be $22,246 with a recurring monthly payment of $25,790. The total price for five years would amount to approximately $1.6 million.
