New E-911 service still poses problems for ambulances and residents

Progress is being made in the effort to fix the 911 system in Lincoln County.

The new E-911 system, fully installed and functioning since last month, allows for a resident's address and name to appear immediately as the call is made, instead of having to identify that information directly from the caller.

The system was installed in order to quicken the response time whenever emergency services are needed.

But problems persist in the transition from the old system to the new one. Some residents have not replaced or updated their address signs, adding confusion and delay for ambulances trying to find patients.

Some 7,000 residents have had to change their address signs, and notify family and friends, as well as businesses and agencies, of their new addresses.

Marc McGill, director of the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, insists the changes will greatly benefit residents.

“Of course, we are going through a transition phase and there are going to be some inconveniences. But once it's all settled it will speed up the process of finding and transporting patients,” he said.

The effort began in 2001 when a report was released that showed how crucial the first 60 minutes were for a patient in need of hospitalization. Efforts after that time period have lower chances of preventing death or permanent injury.

Reports issued at the time found that mile markers, the key indicator for assigning addresses, were inaccurate and causing problems for ambulances.

The current system is also undergoing a few technological problems, which McGill described as “minor bugs in the system to be addressed.”

He added that he was unaware of any serious or tragic result due to the confusion from the transition into the new of addresses.