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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Lehigh County's New 911 Center Up & Running

You probably haven't noticed, but that's a good thing. Lehigh County’s new, $9.3 million, 9-1-1 emergency management center is now up and running at its new location in the Hamilton Financial Center at 638-642 Hamilton Street. The former dispatch and emergency management facility had occupied inadequate space in the Lehigh County Courthouse. The state-of-the-art center, which now occupies three floors in the Hamilton Financial Center, successfully went online earlier this month. The media will be taken on a "behind the scenes" tour today.

Technologically advanced centers like Lehigh's can do reverse 9-1-1, in which case certain areas can be notified in the event of an emergency. It's not flashy, but it saves lives. That's why both Don Cunningham and John Stoffa will both tell you that county government is the best kept secret in the Lehigh Valley.

But I'm unsure how 9-1-1 dispatchers should react when a woman calls, three times, to complain that her local MacDonald's has run out of Chicken McNuggets. "This is an emergency, if I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one, this is an emergency!"
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 8:20 AM

    The City of Allentown's 911 center has been state of the art for a few decades. They continue to increase the technology needed to respond to the needs of its residents and visitors.

    The City's 911 center has provided reverse 911 services for at least 5 years now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernie O'HareMarch 24, 2009 at 8:57 AM

    Then A-town's 9-1-1 center has been quietly saving lives and deserves kudos. That's very encouraging news.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 10:18 AM

    Allentown needs to shut down its 911 center.

    Given that the county city residents already pay taxes to provides these services it is simply a waste of money.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    Bethlehem city residents get a slight reduction in Northampton County taxes since Bethlehem has its own 911 center. Don't Allentown city residents get a similar Lehigh County tax reduction??

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 24, 2009 at 10:23 PM

    Annon 4:18 is that true?

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 26, 2009 at 9:20 PM

    Anon 10:23 PM:

    Printed on my Northampton County 2009 Real Estate Tax bill:

    "TAX RATE REFLECTS 911 CREDIT"

    and I am a Bethlehem City resident.

    ReplyDelete

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