Westchester's 911 system is upgrading

Local police systems for answering 911 calls from hard-wired phones (not cell phones) throughout Westchester are getting a $4 million major upgrade - but this is one change no one should notice. Calls will still be handled the same way, by the same law enforcement dispatchers - just on newer, higher-tech equipment.

The multi-year project will replace existing 911 call answering equipment at police and fire departments throughout the county. Westchester County has contracted with Verizon to change over 43 municipalities, as well as the county�s �60 Control,� which dispatches fire departments and emergency medical service agencies countywide.
The current equipment, which indicates to the dispatcher who is calling and from where, is still functioning well, but is nearing its life expectancy of about 15 years. Replacement parts for the existing system are getting harder to find and manufacturers are discontinuing production.

�The time is right for an upgrade,� said County Executive Andy Spano. �We haven�t had any problems but that�s why we want to address the situation now. When it comes to emergency response, Westchester should continue setting the standard with top-notch capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment.�

Emergency calls are routed directly to the local police jurisdiction, and fire or EMS agencies are alerted as needed. The county will fund the $4 million project. Westchester oversees the hard-wired 911 call answering service countywide and is responsible for routing calls to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The new computerized systems are server-based using digital technology that includes many time-saving features that allow police departments to more efficiently answer and dispatch responses to emergency calls. For example, dispatchers will answer phone calls using a mouse to click on a screen icon rather than by pushing a button on a phone. They will instantaneously be able to call up a particular screen, open a drop-down box of all calls taken that day (instead of searching a database), and play back entire recorded calls with no delay.
In a recent letter to Spano, Bronxville Police Chief Brian Downey, president of the Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association, agreed that �wear and tear� and the �obsolete make-up� of the current system made it time for change. He said he has gotten positive feedback from law enforcement officials about the more user-friendly system and that the conversions have been �smooth and virtually seamless.�
So far, upgrades have been completed for five departments: Elmsford, Pleasantville, Ossining Village, Peekskill and Yorktown. New Rochelle is scheduled to be next and the rest will be staggered over the next several years.