E-911 Dispatch Board examines mapping update procedures

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, 9 p.m. — The members of the E-911 Dispatch Board spent much of their meeting Tuesday wrestling once again with how to insure accurate mapping of all the county’s addresses, and how that information will be updated moving forward.

Lexington-based MapSync is currently working to finish a review of the existing mapping information to identify inconsistencies in the addressing information.

Josh Cammack, an employee of the City of Bardstown with extensive experience in mapping software, reiterated the importance of correcting this information and making sure new addresses are properly matched to GPS coordinates.

Dispatch Director Debbie Carter told the board MapSync representatives say they will have their work done by the of this week or next.

Completion of the mapping project is vital to the dispatch center’s ability to continue to receive 911 funding from the Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS). The CMRS is the state agency that collects a 70-cent monthly fee from most cell phone users and distributes part of that funding as grants to 911 dispatch centers.

The dispatch board faces a January 2014 deadline to have the addressing issues resolved. CMRS will conduct an audit of the local 911 system and the accuracy of its mapping to insure the service meets CMRS requirements.

ADDRESSING REVIEWED. When a building permit is requested, the address is assigned by Logan Spaulding, the county’s chief code enforcement officer. Cammack explained that the information must be entered correctly or it could create inaccuracies in the mapping database.

Every address point requires the addition of a variety of attributes, Cammack said. For example, the address record of a home under construction should also include information about the home’s fire district, the utility providers and precise location of the residence. This information is crucial when first-responders are dispatched to the home.

Sheriff Steve Campbell voice some frustration about the length of time the board has worked on the mapping project.

“We were talking about this months ago,” Campbell said. “How are we going to make this happen?”

Bardstown Mayor Bill Sheckles attended the meeting and volunteered to do whatever he could to help bring the parties together. “This isn’t rocket science,” he said. “How can I help?”

After additional discussion about the creation of new addresses and the need for accuracy of mapping updates, the board agreed to seek a meeting with Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts and Logan Spaulding in order to discuss the addressing process.

CITY UTILITY CALLS. Last month the dispatch board voted to draft a letter to the City of Bardstown regarding the number of utility calls the dispatchers handle during periods of severe weather.

Carter told the board that during Monday’s severe weather, the dispatch center received 30 calls reporting cable TV outages out of 132 total calls from 5 to 9 p.m.

Sheckles told the board the city is going to change its procedures in order for the city staff to accept utility calls when weather events happen.

“We’ll take that load off of you so you won’t have that problem,” Sheckles said.

In other business, the board:

– discussed a request from Chief Rick McCubbin for the board to approve sending one of the dispatchers to a retreat sponsored by the Camdenton, Mo.-based Concerns for Police Survivors program. The program’s only cost is a $100 reservation deposit that is refunded. The board wanted more information about the program, and the costs associated with replacing that dispatcher during his regular shifts;

– reviewed the progress of the planned long-term lease with Salt River Electric for land to erect a 350-foot tower. EMS Director Joe Prewitt reported that the tower construction company will require core samples to warranty their work at the site. Prewitt said discussions are ongoing regarding the antennas Salt River wants to place on the tower as part of the agreement. The types of antennas Salt River selects may require a heavier tower due to the additional wind load.

– distributed but took no action on an interlocal agreement between the dispatch board and the City of Bardstown regarding the board’s use of Josh Cammack’s services for mapping updates. The agreement will be revisited at a future meeting following a discussion with county government;

– approved the hiring of one part-time dispatcher;

– approved revisions to the dispatch board bylaws.

The next meeting of the E-911 Dispatch Board is 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in the conference room at Nelson County EMS Station 1, 1301 Atkinson Hill Ave., Bardstown.

-30-