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Emergency Number 911 byTim D. Cox Illinois Commerce Commission By now you have probably heard of 911, but are not sure what it is. One thing you are probably sure of, though, is that 911 does not affect you. HOWEVER, IT DOES, and in a dramatic way—park districts have authority to provide a sworn police force. This means that park districts, especially those with a sworn police force, must determine how they want 911 calls for incidents occurring in their jurisdiction handled. A call placed to 911 cannot be identified as a police, fire, or medical emergency until it has been answered. After the emergency service required has been determined, the proper agency must be identified and dispatched. How this is done is determined by the responding agency and the 911 answering point. 911 is a single three digit telephone number that will replace more than 2,000 separate emergency telephone numbers presently in use throughout the State. Its purpose is to reduce the time required for a citizen to request and receive emergency aid. The Illinois Revised Statutes (Chapter 134, Section 31 et seq.) has set December 31, 1985 as the date 911 must be in use throughout the State. A citizen needing emergency aid will only need to remember one number instead of many. A reduction in overall response time will occur since the citizen will not need to look up the number or dial the operator, both of which introduce a time interval that the responding agency cannot control. And, time is the critical factor in any emergency response. A 911 answering point is called a PSAP, short for Public Safety Answering Point. It is the initial answering point for 911 calls within a given geographical area. The geographical area is determined generally by telephone exchange boundaries or, in sophisticated systems, the agencies themselves. Once a 911 call has been answered and the proper agency determined, the PSAP provides the information to that agency by a method negotiated between them. This is where a park district must be involved. You must decide how you want your police force notified and then negotiate a written agreement with the PSAP management. One of the problems that may have to be solved is that of two or more answering points in your jurisdiction. Will all PSAPs dispatch your units, will only one dispatch and the remainder relay or transfer calls, or will all PSAPs relay or transfer calls to an independent dispatching point? This is a decision you must make and then put in writing. In addition, there are other agreements which must be negotiated after planning and coordination comnittees have developed a plan. Planning and coordination are necessary to develop a 911 System. Your district should have a representative at planning meetings so that you are aware of what is happening and to voice your concerns. If you are not aware of any 911 planning in your local area, it may be in your best interest to check with local law enforcement, fire, and medical agencies. As a public agency you must be included. The Illinois Commerce Commission has been given the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of 911 Systems. To fulfill its responsibilities, the Commission has a full time staff to work with local public and public safety agencies. Two planning manuals have been developed which are available at no charge, and techinical and operational standards are being developed through public hearings. 911 Staff personnel are available to answer your questions.
911 is becoming a reality to more Illinois citizens each day. Presently, more than 4,242,500 Illinois residents have access to 911 with plans being developed that will include another 3,458,000 within the next two to three years. By 1985, all phones in Illinois were capable of dialing 911 and reaching a PSAP. As an edditional benefit, pay If you would like to have additional information or have a 911 Staff Member meet with you, contact:
Tim D. Fox, Telephone Engineer
The 1977 Scholarship Winners of the Game Time Research Program have completed their projects, and summaries of their findings are now available. The scholarship award program, which has just completed its third year, encourages research in the field of recreation and leisure service, by awarding tuition support for special projects in the universities. John Martich at Indiana University worked on "The Development of Guided Movement Experiences on Playground Equipment." Sharon K. Bilous, at the State University of New York at Cortland, studied "Play Equipment Utilization by Mentally Retarded Children." Pauline R. Keener, a Master's Degree candidate at Springfield College, Massachusetts, examined "The Social Trends Which Influence the Design of Playground Equipment." Patricia K. Jackley, of the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, studied "Movement Patterns of Youngsters Utilizing Space on a Geodesic Dome." Summaries of these studies are available upon request to Game Time, Inc., 900 Anderson Road, Litchfield, Michigan 49252. The 1978 Game Time Scholarship Program is currently underway, and students at U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities with recreation programs are invited to participate. Tuition awards of $300 are made to those students selected to do independent study projects in leisure research. Illinois Parks and Recreation 16 January/February, 1978 |
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