TMCnet News
Old cell phones a 911 problem [Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.](Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 31--Old cell phones in the wrong hands are causing a problem for the Daviess County Sheriff's Department, clogging emergency lines and taking up valuable time for dispatchers and deputies, one official said. The problem stems from noninitialized cell phones, or phones that aren't being used on any plan or payment method, Daviess County 911 Director Paul Nave said. Though these phones can't dial normal numbers, they can still dial 911. Nave said this year, 13 percent of those 911 calls to the dispatch center from the noninitialized phones were not emergency calls. "It's a tremendous problem, and it's twofold. One, it ties up the resources, and two, it ties up the line. If there's an emergency on the line, it may not get through in a timely manner because the line is tied up," Nave said. "The resources being tied up is the patrolman being sent out to look for this kid with a cell phone, trying to resolve it before it happens again." Nave said if parents want to give an old cell phone to their children to play with, taking the battery out will prevent any calling that could cause trouble. These older cell phones also pose another problem, Nave said. These phones can place emergency calls but because they do not have a specific number assigned to them, dispatchers cannot call back. "That's the false sense of security some people have with noninitialized cell phones," Nave said. "You might get through, but if we get disconnected and you're not able to call back, we're not able to get back to you at all. It concerns me that people may depend on this type of service when it's not a dependable service to rely on." Some older models also don't interface properly with the modern 911 systems. Modern phones are automatically mapped so that dispatchers can see a location or approximate location of the caller. Older phones, because of the technology gap, may not be able to do that. "We're able to (locate a cell phone) within reason," Nave said. "Sometimes if it's so old, it may only hit the tower but not give us a location, so then we're back to square one." At the same time, Nave said, those phones can be a help. One thing Nave said is important for people in emergency situations to do is to help rescuers help them. Rescuers can't help people they can't find, Nave said. "With cell phones, it's very, very important that you know your location. Know where you are, know the nearest intersection, know the street you're on. If you can't, give us landmarks so that we can get to you quickly. That's going to benefit you anywhere in the United States." Officer Marian Cosgrove, a public information officer with the Owensboro Police Department, said while they don't have a way to track the number of frivolous calls from noninitialized cell phones, they still feel those phones can be useful. "Some of these (people) that might be in dire straits money-wise and have no other way to call emergency services for help can at least call and give us proper information," Cosgrove said. "They just need to stay on the line and make sure we get the address and phone number so that we can get help to them." That doesn't make the frivolous calls any easier to take, but it does pay off sometimes. "If they continue to call and they're bogus, then it's a problem," Cosgrove said. "(But) even if we do get more bogus calls, if it's going to help one person (it's worth it)." Dariush Shafa, 691-7302, [email protected] Because there's not an easy way to identify when cell phone manufacturers started using certain technologies, contact the manufacturer or the service provider to get more information. To see more of the Messenger-Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.messenger-inquirer.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |