County 911 Now Able To Locate Cell Calls
Montgomery County, Md., emergency call centers are now wired to trace the origin of 911 calls made from cellular phones. County officials recently announced the roll out of a new computerized tracking system that makes it possible for law enforcement and firefighters to pinpoint emergencies with greater precision.
Earlier technology could trace call signals only from the closest cell tower, but the new tracking system takes it a step further and displays a computerized map with the exact location of the call.
In order for the system to work, cell phones need a computer chip that can relay the location of the caller to a 911 call center. Officials estimate that only about 3 percent of cell phones are currently wired with this technology.
Though online since Feb. 8, officials say it will take another couple of months to verify that the service is functioning properly.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Washington Post (04/08/04) P. T3; Snyder, David .