PERRY E-911 MEETS SCHEDULE

PERRYVILLE -- New computer equipment has been ordered and things are on schedule for Perry County's new Enhanced 911 system to begin operating by the end of the year.

Jack Lakenan, E911 director, said much of the hard work has already been done concerning changing rural addresses and bidding equipment.

Over the past year, nearly 5,000 rural Perry County addresses have been changed. "We know we've missed a few," Lakenan said. "Now it's a matter of people who realize they weren't contacted calling us."

Earlier this month, the county opted to lease from Southwestern Bell the computer equipment needed to run much of the Enhanced 911 operations. The lease costs $664 a month. The equipment would have cost $93,000 to purchase.

"The main reason we decided to lease instead of buy was because electronic equipment is updated all the time," Lakenan said. "By the time we got this paid off, it would be behind the times. With a lease, we feel like we'll be better able to keep up with the times."

Perry County voters approved a tax, which appears on telephone bills, in 1995 to fund the Enhanced 911 system.

With the system, a computer screen instantly displays the name and address of the resident of the home or business from which the emergency call is made. The computer screen also displays the various emergency services that serve that particular location. That way, an E-911 dispatcher knows immediately which fire department to page in case of a fire, for example.

A digital map of the county was generated using satellite images. Lakenan said new mapping software is on the way that will allow his office to make changes and updates on the master map.

The map, when linked with a new computer system, will pinpoint the location of callers to 911.

New computers are on order for the Perry County Sheriff's Department and Perryville Police. Both agencies will be changing to computer-assisted dispatching as part of the upgrade in 911. Instead of writing down information on police calls, dispatchers will type the information into a computer.

"We've had basic 911 for several years with no computer aided dispatching," Lakenan said. "This should upgrade everything."

Lakenan said he is waiting for equipment to arrive before taking the next steps. Once the new systems are installed, personnel must be trained.

"Then we are pretty much ready to go," he said. "We hope to be up and running by the end of the year."