9-1-1 coordinator: We will get EMS to your home

By Carol McIntire

Editor

House numbering in Carroll County was once again a topic of discussion for county commissioners.

9-1-1 Coordinator Cheryl Keyser appeared at the March 18 session to discuss the system used for dispatching emergency services and how the department has been able to work around incorrect house numbers over the years.

“As everyone knows we did an electronic map project with commissioners before the county went to NG (Next Generation) 9-1-1. We made corrections ourselves to those maps. When we learned there were house numbering issues, we went around them so we could geo-locate and when an address popped up that was incorrect, we were able to suppress it,” Keyser explained. “Then Tom Konst came on board, and is doing a fabulous job. Our map that runs 9-1-1 is in our system, but anyone who needs directions to get somewhere in the county off a cell phone or other device, would be using Google maps. We don’t use Google maps, but some emergency services are using them so Tom is addressing issues with house numbering in areas where there is still a problem.”

Keyser said her department continues to find a problem from time to time.

“We can make our own corrections. That’s what nice about doing our own maps. It’s not that our map is not correct, it’s that not everyone uses it. We have a good working relationship with the county auditor and try to get exact locations so we can get everyone trying to find a location in the county to that address,” she said. 

So, can we get fire, emergency and other services to your location?” Wirkner asked Keyser.

“The answer is yes,” Keyser replied.

“We do that through map overlays which automatically recalibrate and adjust for errors in addresses which allow us to direct emergency services to your home,” Wirkner said, looking into the camera which broadcasts meetings via Facebook. “In the meantime, please cooperate with regional planning as they try to mitigate these errors.”