CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A major upgrade is coming to the Corpus Christi Police Department's 911 call center.
Corpus Christi City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday that will bring more than $300,000 in grant funding to transition the system to a digital format.
It's the first time in decades the system will replaced by CCPD. Right now if there's an emergency, you can call or text 911 to have helped dispatched to you. The new system, called Next Generation 911 builds on that, allowing you to send videos and photos to dispatchers the same way you would using your mobile app.
NG911 will replace CCPD's current analog system and bring some much-needed upgrades to the MetroCom system. MetroCom is the Nueces County public safety answering point, which means CCPD answers calls from across the county. Deputy Chief Christopher White said MetroCom averages more than 500,000 calls a year.
"So, the officer gets a real-time view, if there is one, of a video or a picture or whatever may have come in with that call, they'll have it available to them," he said.
City Manager Peter Zanoni and Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo said public safety is a top priority, making sure the police and fire departments have the resources they need. The MetroCom upgrades will be partially funded by a grant worth more than $317,000 from the Commission on State Emergency Communication.
"We know that information is critical to solving problems and so if an officer or an EMS agent has more information—maps, pictures, video—once they get to the scene, they're going to be much more ready to respond and help our community," Zanoni said.
Guajardo added that the new system will enable law enforcement to keep up with the times as new technology becomes present.
"We have to make sure that we are always on top of how can we do better and technology is a great part of that in any department. But, especially when it comes to our 911 call center and public safety," Guajardo said.
White said the current 911 system was set up in 1991 and most calls came from landline phones. Now, he says 85-percent of calls are from a cell phone. CCPD is one of 70 departments getting the upgrade, which he says will help them work better with other departments.
"The end goal for NG911 is to be nationwide, so we can tie, you can tie this ability into terminals across the nation to share information easier," he said.
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