An open house will be held Sunday, September 24, from 2 until 4 p.m. at the Lincoln County Office of Public Safety, located on School Street. The focal point of the open house will be the county's new, state-of-the-art 911 dispatch system. Pictured at one of the dispatch stations are Ernie Doss, public safety director, and dispatcher Betty Adkins. When the new E-911 center goes on-line Tuesday, September 12, at 10 a.m., Lincoln County will enter the 21st century at warp speed.

Located next door to the Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services (OES), the new communications center will feature state-of-the-art equipment designed to save time and in the process, lives.

Approximately a year ago, GEMA (Georgia Emergency Management Agency) notified the county that its dispatching system was not in compliance with state law.

"According to the law, a 911 dispatcher cannot have any other duties besides dispatching," said Ernie Doss, public safety director for the county. "Because our dispatchers were housed in the sheriff's office, they were sometimes required to take on additional responsibilities. The board of commissioners decided to move the center so the dispatchers could be singularly focused on dispatching.

Ernie Doss, public safety director for Lincoln County, poses with the computer cabinet that houses the six servers which operate the new 911 dispatch system. "In addition, the old 911 system could not handle cellular 911 calls in the manner now prescribed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission)."

If the county had not taken action, it would have forfeited the 911 user fees which help fund the emergency

dispatching service, stated the public safety director. Currently, a monthly surcharge is attached to all telephone lines and cell phones; the fees are $1.50 for land lines and $1 for cellular phones.

The new dispatching system was purchased from Baker Integrated Technologies, LLC in Norcross for $221,000. The purchase price includes two dispatch stations, which are designed to accommodate future growth, and all software upgrades over a five-year period.

Each dispatch station is comprised of three basic components:

(1) A computerized telephone/radio unit that will manage the county's radio system, allowing the dispatcher to link multiple frequencies together so he can talk to different agencies simultaneously.

"When a call comes in, the 911 unit will 'ring' and the caller's telephone number will flash on the screen - radio calls will also generate audible and visible signals," explained Director Doss. "As we take 911 calls on the new system, the 911 screen will provide the dispatcher with a call history for each address."

(2) "The Computer-Aided Dispatch System (CAD) is an electronic call tracking mechanism that's new to our system," stated Director Doss.

"At the present time, dispatchers have to keep track of calls using 'run cards' - all of the times are written on the cards by hand," said the director.

"The CAD system, however, will electronically track the progression of a call - when the ambulance left the station and when it arrived at the scene, the hospital, and back at the station. The system will track everything we dispatch - ambulances, law enforcement officers, fire departments, and so forth. With just a click of the mouse, dispatchers can time stamp the different phases of the call.

"Most importantly, the system will make it much easier to track multiple calls that occur simultaneously," the director continued. "The calls can be monitored visually on the CAD screen. When tracking multiple calls using run cards, it is possible to lose a call because a card can get pushed aside on the table - the computer won't lose a card."

In other comments, Director Doss indicated that the address where the caller is located is automatically imported into the CAD system which tells the dispatcher what part of the county map to access, what the resources are in that area, and where they are located.

CAD likewise enables dispatchers to troubleshoot for emergency response personnel by allowing them access to the number and type of accidents that have occurred at a particular intersection.

The director went on to say, "The system can handle data analysis more effectively because we don't have to recreate all of the data electronically from a written record."

According to Doss, "By keeping track of call times, the CAD system also helps facilitate 'welfare checks' - for example, it will alert the dispatcher if a deputy and an ambulance have been at the scene of an accident or a domestic dispute for an excessive length of time. A flashing indicator on the screen reminds the dispatcher to check on the emergency response team.

"In essence, CAD provides us with more tools to ensure the safety of our emergency personnel and to respond in a timely manner to all requests for assistance."

(3) The map screen is made possible through a link between the computer dispatch system and the county's Geographical Information System (GIS). The maps will help the dispatcher and emergency personnel locate roads, residences, fire hydrants, utilities, and other infrastructure, if need be. The system will likewise provide emergency personnel with alternative routes around road construclular tion.

"The dispatcher will be able to zoom in on the map or zoom out so he can provide better directions to emergency responders," said Doss. "This will prove to be extremely helpful in those instances where the roads have similar sounding names."

In Lincoln County, there is a White Oak Court and a White Oak Road, both of which are in different areas of the county. The road registry also sports names such as Lakeside Drive, Lake Drive, Lake Circle, "We have the equipment for Phase II in place - we just have to work out some of the particulars with the cell phone companies," said the director. "We plan to start testing Phase II before the end of the year."

As for the building that is now the home of the new E-911 center, the county purchased the property from the Scott-Drew Construction Company. In addition to the communications center, the building also house the public safety director's office.

For the most part, the structure was renovated by county employee Jimmy Justice with the help of inmates from the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Center.

An open house will be held at the new dispatch center on Sunday, September 24, from 2 until 4 p.m.

In closing, Director Doss said, "The system we have will greatly enhance our ability to locate 911 callers. The caller's address will be displayed graphically on a map thereby making it easier for the dispatcher to determine the caller's exact location in the county.

"Moreover, when it comes to cel- calls, if someone who is passing through Lincoln County breaks down and doesn't know where he is, our system can help us locate him," he continued.

"In a nutshell, the new communications system will help us better serve the people of Lincoln County because it moves our technology into the 21st Century."