By Edward Mason
Staff Writer
August 07, 2008 05:26 am BOSTON — Cell phone users will pay for an ambitious expansion of the state's 911 system that includes a pilot program to rapidly locate where wireless calls are coming from in an emergency. The 45-cent-a-month increase also will help pay for millions of dollars in grants to communities across the state to train 911 dispatchers and upgrade equipment, and to encourage far-flung or smaller cities and towns to band together and form regional 911 dispatch systems. John Grossman, state undersecretary of forensic science and technology, said the measure, pushed by the Patrick administration, will have a tangible effect on 911 services. "We're talking about paying for having the most effective, professional, 911 system that's possible," Grossman said. "On that one or two or three times you pick up 911 because a family member needs help, there is a perfectly trained person at the other end of the phone who has the benefit of state-of-the-art technology to get help." Lawrence police Chief John Romero said this is one fee increase from Beacon Hill that will matter to average people. "There wasn't a whole lot of money going to cities and towns for 911," Romero said. "We'll be able to update our system and spend more money on training." Indeed, Lawrence received $36,254 from the state in fiscal 2008, which ended June 30, to train dispatchers and to purchase or maintain equipment. The cell phone fee increase will allow the state to send the city an additional $206,000 this fiscal year. Andover would get another $54,910, Haverhill $109,680, North Andover $46,503, and Methuen $77,607. Newburyport would receive $29,513 more than this year. Rep. Michael Costello, D-Newburyport, was a major force behind the bill. Overall, the law, passed at the tail end of the legislative session, would send cities and towns $16 million in fiscal 2009, and $21 million the following year, to improve dispatcher training and upgrade equipment. It also would help offset the cost of operating the response systems. Emergency calls to 911 made from land lines go directly to a local dispatcher who then passes the information on to fire, police or ambulance crews. Calls from cell phones go to the state police before the information goes to local responders. Grossman said there's typically a 10-second delay between when the call goes to state police and when the caller's location can be determined. The cell phone fee increase will help pay for a pilot program testing equipment capable of patching calls through to local police based on the location of the cell phone tower that picks up the call, Grossman said. While seemingly a short delay, Grossman said it can make a difference when responding to an emergency call. "Ten seconds is a long time," Grossman said. The state also would provide cash incentives to communities that regionalize their emergency dispatch services. This fiscal year, communities would receive $2.6 million toward a regional system's operational costs and $7.5 million toward building a regional dispatch system. In a regional system, the calls would go to a central facility that would then dispatch police, fire or ambulances to an emergency. Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins, a regional dispatch booster, said it would cut down on communities' costs while increasing effectiveness. "You can do a better job delivering services," Cousins said. Better training means better help, said Methuen fire Chief Clifford Gallant. In Methuen, police calls are handled by civilian dispatchers who send fire calls to the Fire Department. A regional center would contain highly trained dispatchers in one location. They'd also be trained to tell callers what to do in a medical emergency while an ambulance is on its way. "It delivers a better product for the money," Gallant said. The law would raise the current 30-cent cell phone 911 surcharge to 75 cents. But it also would set the land line surcharge at 75 cents by lowering that rate by 24 cents. The surcharge takes effect in September. Future increases would have to be approved by state regulators. The law also establishes the Massachusetts State 911 Department to oversee the system. And it moves responsibility for operating the 911 access program for people with disabilities away from for-profit telephone companies and under state direction. Grossman said the cell phone surcharge has not increased since 2002 but, with new technology and greater training demands, responding to emergency calls has become more expensive. "This is a surcharge that is being returned directly to you," Grossman said. Edward Mason may be contacted at emason@gloucestertimes.com.
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