PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO AID IN LOCATING 911 CELL PHONE CALLS

Harrisburg, Dec. 19, 2003 – State Sen. Connie Williams, appointed to a conference committee with colleagues from the House and Senate, finalized bill language that would ensure that emergency personnel could locate people who call 911 from a cellular telephone, even if the call is placed in another calling area in the state.

Meeting with the committee Thursday evening, Williams, who is Democratic chair of the Senate Communication and Technology Committee, said she was pleased with the final bill version, which includes retroactive reimbursement for Delaware County. Delaware County has already implemented a program that allows emergency service responders to trace 911 calls placed from cell phones.

“I am delighted that Delaware County, who was on the leading edge of implementing this technology in Pennsylvania to ensure greater public safety, will be reimbursed for what they did,” Williams said.

“This is a public safety issue, which desperately needed to be addressed and Delaware County recognized that need and acted upon it. The bill that we finalized last night will ensure that every county has the opportunity to follow Delaware County’s lead and will have the financial wherewithal to do so.”

The legislation (H.B. 1018) was unanimously voted out of the conference committee Thursday night. It must still be passed by the General Assembly and signed into law before it will be effective.

Under the bill, it will be up to the counties to decide if they want to participate and if they do, there will be funding available to purchase the necessary equipment, through a monthly $1 surcharge on wireless telephones registered in Pennsylvania.

An enhanced E-911 system would allow county 911 centers to accurately pinpoint the location and phone number of a person that is calling 911 from a cell phone for emergency assistance.

“The need for this type of service became painfully clear following an incident in Philadelphia in which an individual was beaten and placed in a car trunk, but managed to call 911. The 911 center staff could hear what was happening, but didn’t have the capabilities to locate the man and provide assistance. They were horrified that they couldn’t send help,” Williams said.

“Not every call to E-911 will be quite so dramatic, but as we all know, most calls to 911 are time-critical. Minutes count when it comes to saving lives. Through enhanced 911 capabilities, Pennsylvania emergency personnel will be able to pinpoint the person in distress quickly and respond in a timely manner.”

The legislation has the support of numerous safety providers and agencies, including the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which will work to ensure that a statewide system is compatible with the E-911 system. The General Assembly is expected to act upon the legislation prior to Christmas.

Once the legislation becomes law, programs in various counties could be up and running within six months.