TOOELE COUNTY — An upgrade to the county's 911 emergency dispatch system will help calls be processed quicker and dispatched faster.
The Tooele County Commission this month approved a $154,000 purchase of computer software that will bring the dispatch center on board with current technology.
Right now, says Tooele County Sheriff's Sgt. Willard Liddell, the system being used by the county's two dispatchers is 10 years old.
That means dispatchers are using phone consoles with the push buttons, rather than being able to tap into sophisticated software that instantly tracks and stores information.
Liddell said the new system, which is expected to be operational by August, will be a critical improvement to the efficiency of the county's emergency services.
"Since we have only the two dispatchers, it can get pretty hectic in here," he said. "We are just really far behind on the times."
Dispatchers for the Tooele County Sheriff's Office take calls and coordinate the responses of 37 agencies, including Nevada Highway Patrol troopers in Wendover and West Wendover police. In 1999, the center processed about about 20,000 calls to 911 and handled about 190,000 non-emergency calls.
The new system, which will be completely computerized, will allow the dispatchers to process the calls faster and more efficiently.
Liddell, who is the communications and technology coordinator for the sheriff's office, says the agreement includes the installation of four stations and a monthly maintenance contract.
About five software systems with identical technology exist in the state, Liddell said, including one in use at the Valley Emergency Communications Center.
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