Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Eunice gets E-911 compatible patrol cars

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:44:23 -0400

Eunice gets E-911 compatible patrol cars  

Gannett News Service  
 
October 13, 2003 
  
EUNICE 

A year ago, Eunice was complaining its citizens were being charged thousands of
dollars annually on their phone bills to support — but receiving no benefits from
— the parishwide E-911 emergency response system.

Today, thanks to a go-slow approach and the grant-writing skill of Patrolman
Robert Johnson, that is all behind them.

Last month, a $44,242 Law Enforcement Block Grant written by Johnson allowed the
city to install new E-911 compatible radios in
all of its patrol cars.

Johnson said that he is expecting to receive word soon on another $22,000 grant to
finish the job. 

“It’s pretty much there right now,” Johnson said of the money. “We just have to
claim it.” 

The new grant will allow the force to purchase upgraded radios for its four
lieutenant’s cars and for each of its shift supervisors.

“These radios allow us to communicate directly with the State Police, Sheriff’s
Office, Acadian Ambulance and other emergency agencies,” said Police Chief Gary
Fontenot.

“These are state-of-the-art,” Fontenot said of the new 800-megahertz radios, which
allow the department to tie into the parish emergency response system.

The new radios, known as MTVAs (motor vehicle adapters) let one radio to do double
duty, allowing the officer’s personal radio to also serve as a mobile radio for
the patrol car.

The department had previously used its own money to purchase a large base unit for
the police station to coordinate the traffic on all its radios.

An added benefit, according to Fontenot, is that criminals with scanners won’t be
able listen in on the new radios the way they can now. 

“We’ll be able to have the element of surprise again,” he said.

Fontenot referred to the 2000 train derailment in Eunice as a prime example of why
the system is needed. That disaster involved a chemical-laden Union Pacific train
that exploded, causing a wide-spread evacuation.

“We had police and fire vehicles from every part of the parish converging on the
scene. Coordination was a bit rough. If we had had the 911 system then, we could
have coordinated the vehicles while still on the road to the emergency. That would
have been ideal,” Fontenot said.

The system can also find the location of a call, even if the caller is incoherent,
and tapes of all calls, which can later be used as evidence.  

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser 
October 13, 2003

http://www.theadvertiser.com/news/html/AE8B0099-C3EA-430B-84DD-0195109F7BE3.shtml

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/