Operations
The Scotland County E-911 Communications Center provides 24 hour-a-day, seven day-a-week 9-1-1 access and services to the citizens and user agencies in Scotland County. E-911 services include receiving emergency and non-emergency request for services, dispatching of EMS and Rescue Squad units, transferring 911 calls to other county or city emergency response agencies, monitoring and providing severe weather alerts, serving as a County point of contact for State agencies, and other duties as required. The Communication Center is staffed by four full-time trained telecommunicators, each working 12 hour shifts on a rotating basis.
9-1-1 Call Taking
The Scotland County E-911 is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the County of Scotland. Each county 9-1-1 wire line and wireless call comes directly to the Center and is handled according to its location and nature. During the call, the Telecommunicator is required to ascertains the location and nature of the emergency. Other information obtained includes, but is not limited to:
- The caller's name, address, and call-back number
- The presence of any weapons (if a crime was committed)
- Certain information for medical emergencies (life status, medical history, etc.)
- Potential hazards at the scene of the emergency
When each 9-1-1 call is received, the telephone number and location of the caller is electronically displayed and verified by the Telecommunicator. This is referred to as the ANI (automatic number identifer) and the ALI (automatic location identifer) information, which is provided to the 911 PSAP from the data base of the telecommunication company providing the 911 service. This information is electronicly recorded in the PSAP and kept on file for official use only.
Dispatch Services
Dispatch services and support services are provided to the following user agencies in and around Scotland County.
Emergency Medical Services:
- Scotland County EMS
Rescue Services:
- Scotland County Rescue
Law Enforcement:
-Scotland County Sheriff's Dept.
-Laurinburg Police Dept.
-----These 911 calls are currently transferred to the respective agency for dispatch----
Fire Service:
-Laurinburg Fire Dept.
----These 911 calls are currently transferred to the Laurinburg Fire Dept to dispatch all Fire Depts in Scotland County----
Other Services Agencies:
- Scotland County Emergency Management
- Scotland County Animal Control Office
In addition, the Scotland County E-911 maintains emergency callback lists for various city, county, state, and private utility services, as well as, other support agencies as needed.
Technologies and Operations Equipment
The Scotland County E-911 Center is equipped with modern communications and technologically advanced equipment, however the Next Generation (NG) equipment that will be used in future 911 systems is still under development and will be incorporated in the county's proposed new 911 center expected to be in operation in 2013. The E-911 PSAP located at the EMS base is currently ( February of 2012) installing upgraded Positron 911 equipment that will eventually be relocated in the new proposed dispatch center and EOC. This new equipment will allow for some current technology advancements over the older equipment it will replace. The new equipment should be online and active by February 15, 2012.
911 Address Signs
Blue reflective 911 Address Signs are available at the 911 Communications Center. The signs are crafted on site and can be requested in either a vertical or a horizontal presentation. The metal sign blanks are pre-drilled with holes in each corner for easy mounting. The sign blanks can be lettered with from one to five numbers on both sides of the blank and are highly visible at night and in inclement weather. The signs are available to anyone wishing to purchase them seven days a week from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm at a cost of $10.00 each. Many people have actually purchased the signs as a gift for a friend or family member with a medical condition that may require the future need of ambulance transport. Their thought is that the residence will be much easier to locate if an emergency were to occur and that need for transport were to develop. Our rule of thumb at 911 is, " If you can ride past your residence at 60 MPH, at 3:00 am, in a pouring down rain storm, and see your address, then your address sign is fine. If you can't see it, you may need to consider purchasing a 911 reflective address sign for your home." If you can't see it, we can't see it either! To date, the 911 Communication Center has sold over 2500 address signs.