The agreement will also ensure maintenance costs will be reduced by as much as 40 percent by eliminating redundancies. 911 information can be shared using a single database storing all information. Summit County and the City of Akron previously owned and operated independent 911 systems.
The new 911 system will go above and beyond the previous technology to keep up with the proliferation of cellular devices city and county call takers in the 911 dispatch center will now be provided with telephone numbers and locations for wireless 911 calls as well as for traditional, land-line phones.
"I'm pleased we were able to partner with Summit County," said Mayor Don Plusquellic. "This will save money and save lives by helping our safety forces get to more people more quickly."
The new system will automatically display a caller's location on a map at the call taker's station after receiving positioning information from the wireless phone. This will give the call taker the location of the caller. Previously there was no such information available from a cellular 911 call.
Akron's Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, George Romanoski says the new, shared 911 phone operation will be up and running by late July. The system was purchased from AT&T at a cost of roughly $750,000.
