Following a very brief meeting Wednesday, Forest County commissioners and the county’s community and economic development director discussed the ongoing updates being made to the county’s GIS maps in preparation for next generation 911.
Currently, 911 calls are dispatched using 911 addresses, with every 14 feet along roads having its own address, commissioner Bob Snyder said.
Right now, if someone calls 911 from a cell phone and hangs up, 911 can get their location within 20 or 30 feet. But with next generation 911, they will be able to pinpoint the exact location of a 911 caller, Snyder said.
All these upgrades rely on GIS data, and economic development director Bailey Thompson said he is making updates to reflect things such as long driveways to make it clearer for first responders where the access is in case of an emergency.
Snyder said the state also wants GIS data on where a person lives along with their voter registration, making it harder for dead people to vote.
He added that the county has worked over the years to purge dead voters from the rolls.
The GIS data will also be used to update the county parcel viewer and for floodplain mapping, which would be helpful when people are planning construction projects, Thompson said.
Snyder said one of the proposed towers would be placed in Barnett Township and the other in Harmony Township.
He also said an emergency siren has been ordered for West Hickory Volunteer Fire Department.