Dispatch going digital

Local News

Discussion

July 21, 2009

Change to come some time after move to new airport building

Anonymous The Times-Tribune Tue Jul 21, 2009, 08:40 AM EDT

By Adam Sulfridge / Staff Writer

By this Thursday, members of Whitley County E911 dispatch hope to be in their new home. Currently located in the Whitley County Courthouse in downtown Williamsburg, E911 is moving to a larger location near the Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport located just off Hwy 25 near Exit 15.

A major reason for the move is the small size of dispatch’s current facility.

“There’s always two dispatchers on duty…and they’re currently in a 10-foot by 12-foot room….with six to seven monitors in front of them,” said E911 Supervisor Angie Matney. With that much equipment, there’s little room for more than the people working, not to mention filing cabinets and other storage necessary for dispatch’s records.

Eventually there will be a minimum of three dispatchers at all times, Matney added.

The move is being financed by Matney’s E911 fund.

Another major change taking place in the realm of emergency services communications is the switch from analog to digital. As part of a government mandated transition, local emergency services will replace their analog radio systems with more technologically advanced digital systems.

Essentially, when an officer or firefighter speaks into a radio, his voice will be converted into a digital file, which will then be transmitted to other radios. Despite the slight delay caused by the conversion process, digital systems are praised for their clarity and longer distance service areas.

Matney couldn’t pinpoint a specific date for when the transition will be complete, but noted that she’s only waiting on federal approval of E911’s new radio tower. “We’re doing it a step at a time. It’s very expensive,” she explained.

Most pertinent to readers, though, will be the effect of this switch on police scanners — old, analog scanners will not be able to pick up the chatter of emergency personnel using newer, digital radios. And with an average cost of $500 per handheld unit, there’s a good chance that scanner land will be silent for quite some time.

Text Only

Local News

Sawyers named Times-Tribune publisher
Longtime Sentinel-Echo Publisher Willie Sawyers has been named regional publisher with oversight of both the London paper and the Times-Tribune in Corbin.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
7 arrested in drug roundup
Seven people were arrested Thursday following a two-month investigation that involved undercover buys of prescription drugs, according to Corbin Police Public Affairs Officer Major Rob Jones.

February 3, 2012
Police seek man wanted for home burglaries
Police are seeking the public’s help in finding a man they believe is responsible for the theft of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from several burglarized homes in Williamsburg and Whitley County, according to Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
No report yet on body of Bright
The body of Delmer Bright was returned from the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s office Wednesday by Knox Coroner Mike Blevins.

February 2, 2012
Area legislators wait and see on redistricting
If the courts find the State Legislature’s redistricting plan constitutional, State Representative Marie Rader will find her 89th House District changing dramatically — with a razor-thin strip through the middle of Laurel County, connecting both Jackson and McCreary Counties.

February 2, 2012
Whitley, McCreary Farm Service Agencies to meet today
At 2 p.m. today at the Whitley County Extension office, agriculturalists will discuss the consolidation of the Whitley and McCreary counties’ USDA Farm Service Agencies.

February 2, 2012
Police Roundup - Feb. 2, 2012
London’s Kentucky State Police post has received a report of a scam or fraud trying to get credit or debit card account numbers.

February 2, 2012
Corbin sewer repairs to continue through May
Those crews doing work in the rain on some downtown Corbin streets Wednesday were digging in for a reason — to stop water from getting into the city’s sanitary sewer collection system. And the work will continue at times throughout the next few months before it’s finished.

February 2, 2012
Corbin Main Street prepares for new year
The man who heads Corbin’s Main Street Program says it’s time to do some exciting things. And they run from starting the early stages of master planning for the downtown area, all the way to introducing a new, user-friendly website for his organization.

February 1, 2012 1 Photo
Man dies after crash with train
Delmer Bright, 83, of Flat Lick, was pronounced dead Tuesday at Knox County Hospital just after 1 p.m.

February 1, 2012 1 Story
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Dispatch going digital

Change to come some time after move to new airport building

Site Map

Contact Us