Delco Times Editorial
May 14, 2003
The state Senate Communications and Technology Committee approved a
measure by Sen. Joe Conti (R-10) Monday that would create a wireless
"E-911" emergency telephone system. The new technology would allow
county 911 centers across Pennsylvania to accurately pinpoint the
location and phone number of a person using a cellular phone to call 911
for emergency assistance.
The bill, co-sponsored by Edwin B. "Ted" Erickson (R-26,Delaware and
Chester) flew through the committee on the heels of the kidnapping,
torture and murder of a 25-year-old Philadelphia man. Reinaldo Zayas was
able use his cell phone to call 911, but even though dispatchers could
hear his screams, their 911 system could not establish his location.
That wouldn't have happened in Delaware County, which has a global
positioning system, which allows call takers to pinpoint a cell-phone
caller's location, some within 10 meters, by latitude and longitude. The
only firm not yet on board with the county's system is T-Mobile,
formerly Voicestream. Ed Truitt, director of the county's system, said
T-Mobile is doing its field testing now.
There are approximately 5 million cell-phone users in Pennsylvania,
and Senate Bill 432 wants to assure 911 centers can obtain accurate
location information for all those possible wireless calls.
Conti said the E-911 system would be administered by the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency and funded by a monthly $1 surcharge on
wireless telephones. The fee would be collected by wireless carriers and
remitted to the state Department of Treasury. PEMA would then use this
account to reimburse county 911 centers and wireless companies for the
cost of providing the service, he said.
This is a fine idea, an idea Delaware County's emergency center put
into practice last fall. It was set up with a $9 million price tag,
funded through the county's general fund and a Capital Fund Bond. The
vendors who hooked up to the county system also incurred great costs in
engineering, hardware and line charges.
Delaware County acted before someone died. Now, this bill wants the
rest of the state to try and catch up. The taxpayers here, who already
paid for a system to allow cell-phone users to feel safe, may be asked
to pay for the remaining 66 counties to accomplish the same thing.
We hope, as a legislative aide to Erickson said he will, that our
senator will make sure Delaware County gets its "fair share." If the
state will administer funding for the rest of the state, our costs
should be considered.
Also, it's our guess that more than one of those counties looking to
install the E-911 system will make a trip down here to talk to Truitt
and find out how his department handled the successful setup.
To be doubly taxed for leading the way would not be fair.
