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Mahhunt puts spotlight on 911 funding [The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.](Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 29--HARRISBURG -- The extended manhunt for suspected cop killer Eric Matthew Frein is putting a spotlight on efforts to fix funding problems for Pennsylvania's 911 emergency system and equip it to handle new and evolving communications technology. The county-run 911 systems are described as the backbone of the statewide emergency response network. Efforts to provide them with more stable funding date back a half-dozen years and have received new impetus following a legislative report in 2012. The manhunt by the state police for Mr. Frein in the Poconos has led to residents being told to stay in their homes at various times and roadblocks preventing access to neighborhoods. Mr. Frein, of Barrett Twp., is accused of shooting and killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson II, 38, of Dunmore, and wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass, 31, of Olyphant, during a Sept. 12 ambush at the Blooming Grove barracks in Pike County. Having an upgraded 911 network would allow for more widespread use of new technology in situations like the manhunt, said Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp. She is on a task force considering recommendations to modernize the system. Policymakers are focused on incorporating video, text messages, iPad and OnStar into the system. "The challenge is to accommodate these rapid changes in technological advancement through a law that was adopted in 1990 and amended in piece-meal fashion to accommodate intermediate technologies," according to the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. In addition, some counties have contracted to provide Reverse 911 services. This enables emergency officials to send notifications about potentially life-threatening emergencies to residents through calls to both landline telephones and cell phones. Lehigh County's Reverse 911 system provides residents and visitors with alerts about emergencies affecting public safety. These notifications aren't intended to replace time-sensitive alerts broadcast on TV and radio stations, according to the Lehigh County Emergency Management Agency. In Lehigh County, individuals with traditional "wireline" phone services such as Verizon are already in the system, but those using cellphones or telephone service provided by VOIP services, such as Vonage, need to register to receive alerts. One problem is that 911 systems rely partly on revenue from surcharges on telephone users whose numbers are declining, said Ms. Baker. Calls to 911 from wireless devices overtook calls from telephones more than a decade ago. Pennsylvania has a combination of state and local surcharges on wireline, wireless and VOIP devices sufficient to cover about 70 percent of county 911 spending, according to the 2012 report by the Pennsylvania Budget and Finance Committee. Counties increasingly tap county property tax revenue to support 911. "Without a major sea change in how 911 operations are funded and operated, in the coming years public safety across the commonwealth is likely to be compromised," said Glenn Cannon, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, in 2012 testimony. Lawmakers passed a law last June that keeps existing 911 surcharges in place for one year while an effort is made to pass a comprehensive rewrite of the 911 law. Legislative hearings will be held so bills can be prepared for introduction by March, said Sen. Robert Mensch, R-24, Lansdale, chairman of the Senate Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee. Contact the writer; [email protected] ___ (c)2014 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) Visit The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) at thetimes-tribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |