Enhanced 911 System Locates Wireless Callers for Rescue from Public Lands

By Sheriff Ron Spike, Yates County

Most New York State counties operate an Enhanced 911 system that provides caller location information to the Emergency Dispatcher. The system developed over the years from standard 911 to advanced stages, and now many county’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) embrace NG911 technologies.

Telephone companies route all incoming 911 calls to the PSAP, and the dispatcher’s computer uses the information to display the caller’s address or Auto Location Information (ALI). When using modern wireless mobile phones, the geographic coordinates, commonly known as Global Position Satellite (GPS), in terms of latitude and longitude are displayed on a map so First-Responders (police-fire-rescue-EMS) and other services can be efficiently and effectively sent.

In the last few years, our 911 Communications PSAP used this technology to locate callers who were lost, injured, or endangered by their location. This technology is especially important at or near the wildlife management area known as High-Tor, in the western part of Yates County, where parts neighbor the county of Ontario. High-Tor consists of approx. 6,800 acres with numerous ecological habitats, step-wooded terrains, gullies, eroded cliffs, and wetlands. The largest part is east of the village of Naples, NY, which is very scenic, but with steep wooded terrain and forests. In High-Tor, water areas drain through the famous Naples Creek into the east-southern end of Canandaigua Lake, a lake in the Finger Lake Region. Common areas used for hiking are near Parish Hill Road, Conklin's Gulley, and Clark’s Gulley near Sunnyside in the Township of Italy, Yates County.

New York State has a diverse landscape of natural beauty, and hiking is used by many as a great outdoor activity, but some trails are not maintained as park walkways and can be rugged and rough. Important equipment to have while hiking includes maps, compasses, flashlights, food/water, and a first-aid kit. However, a cell phone is essential! In a recent case, a cell phone was crucial to a mother and her two children when they were on a trail next to a gorge when it started to rain. They realized they were now on slippery ground and afraid of falling 100 plus feet into the chasm. She called 911 on her cell phone, dispatchers plotted their location, and with assistance from the NYS Forest Rangers, guided them to a safer location to exit the area.

911 receives common calls from those stranded in a dark and gully hiking area, lost near a gorge, or who are stranded when they encounter icy areas. In these cases, Naples Fire Department search and rescue are dispatched, with sheriff ’s deputies, Forest Rangers, the county’s office of emergency management, and sometimes the Rope Rescue Team. The Enhanced 911 dispatcher will plot the caller’s location on the map and dispatch first responders for rescue at the approximate latitude and longitude while staying on the call for assurance and compassionate support. The county operated enhanced 911 system is truly the first-first responder in rescue incidents at public lands, forests, and county parks. The county operated 911 technology continues to prove itself essential for public safety and the health of our citizens and visitors.