Thursday, September 23, 2010
Neighborhoods Chief Turner will address 911 concerns in Southwest Atlanta
Posted by Gwynedd Stuart @gwynnstu on Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 4:48 PM
- Sure, your old-school Nokia looks cool, but will it get you the help you need?
Down in Southwest Atlanta — in the recently-annexed subdivisions of Guilford Forest and Regency Park, specifically — residents are dealing with increased dispatcher answer and police response times because a cell tower automatically routes their calls to Fulton County's 911 center. Once they've reached that call center, a dispatcher has to transfer the call to Atlanta's 911 center, wasting seconds, even minutes, that can prove precious in emergency situations.
Chief Turner — along with Deputy Chief Shawn Jones, 911 Communications Center Director Terri Thornberry, Zone 4 Commander Rodney Bryant and Assistant Zone Commander Barbara Cavender — will attend NPU-Q's meeting tonight to "discuss" Guilford Forest and Regency Park residents' concerns over the necessary rerouting of 911 calls. If a press release distributed by the APD is any indication, it doesn't appear that there's a solution to the current conundrum, per se, but officials will offer a recommendation to residents: don't call from a cell phone if you can avoid it. But, as more and more people jettison their landlines, a cell phone might be the only option. In that case, Thornberry says callers should "be prepared — whenever possible — to give a name, a complete address, and as many details about the incident as possible."
NPU-Q meets tonight at 7 p.m. at the Guilford Forest clubhouse, 4770 Guilford Forest Drive.
Comments (4)
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SW Atlanta is not the only place that 911 calls get routed elsewhere. I've been connected to DeKalb 911 from Ormewood Park...
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EAVBuzz even has a guide to calling 911 on their Public Safety forum. Excerpt from said guide:
"When the operator first comes on the line listen to see which of the many 911 Services responded to your call. Particularly if you are using a cell phone, it is not uncommon for Fulton County, DeKalb County or even Clayton Countyâs 911 Service to respond to a call made in NPU-W. If this happens, ask to be transferred to City of Atlanta 911. City of Atlanta 911 operators are trained to answer calls by saying âPolice Emergency Operatorâ and then give their operator number. If you have any questions about which 911 service has answered your call, immediately ask for clarification as to which 911 Service you are speaking with and immediately request a transfer if appropriate."
i live right on the fulton/dekalb border (moreland ave near little five pts) and have always been connected to city of atlanta the three times i have needed to call 911 this year.
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