: Changes in Michigan 911 Network to Improve Service Delivery & Response Times
On Thursday, November 16th, 2023, 9-1-1 Centers in Southwest Michigan tested changes in how wireless 9-1-1 calls are delivered. Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN) made network changes for emergency call routing in order to deliver wireless calls based on device location when available, instead of relying solely on tower location. This means that emergency calls can now reach the appropriate 9-1-1 center in bordering areas without intervention.
“Today was an exciting day as we tested 9-1-1 calls and had them ring in to the correct 9-1-1 center based on the caller’s location, when previously it would have required a transfer to get the right dispatch center in those areas,” said Berrien County 911 Director Caitlin Sampsell. “This will enable 9-1-1 to send responders faster and cut down on frustration for the caller.”
While geospatial routing will help to route the call to the right 9-1-1 center the first time, it will not eliminate the possibility of misrouted calls. The call will be routed according to the cell tower sector if the latitude and longitude coordinates are not delivered within the first ring cycle. Berrien County looks forward to emergency call routing to continue to become more accurate as carriers improve the timeliness of location data delivery.
