Advanced E911 In Rhode Island

“Pictometry” technology is being tested in four Rhode Island communities–Newport, Cranston, Providence, and Warwick–in a pilot project with the E-9-1-1 emergency telephone system. The technology allows emergency response workers to view as many as 12 sharp, angled aerial photos of any location so they can obtain key data about sites from where emergency calls emanate.

“That means that first responders will be equipped with all of the pertinent information before they get to the scene,” says state Gov. Donald Carcieri. Faces, license plates, and other personal identifiers are distorted as the image is enlarged in order to uphold personal privacy.

Faster response time and reduced unnecessary risk to first responders are among the expected benefits of the new program. “Currently, our E-9-1-1 staffer forwards an incoming emergency call to the appropriate department–either police, fire, or rescue–while reviewing the mapping system,” reports executive director of Rhode Island E-9-1-1 Ray LaBelle. “Now, there is also detailed information about the neighborhood features to report, and that can be invaluable to first responders.” The pilot was funded by a $75,000 Homeland Security Department grant.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Government Technology (10/11/05) .