The Morgan County, Ala., Emergency Management Communication District (MCEMCD) 9-1-1 upgraded their existing 9-1-1 equipment with the next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Sentinel Patriot call processing solution from emergency communications leader PlantCML, an EADS North America company, through Allcomm Wireless.

"As emergency communication technology advances, it is imperative that our 9-1-1 center is equipped with the latest equipment to better serve our community and first responders," according to Ryan Welty, MCEMCD director. "Upgrading to the Sentinel Patriot solution will enable our dispatchers to work more efficiently with a system that is both easy to use and includes features not available on the previous system. With touch screen monitors, it is as easy as tapping the screen to connect a caller with a translation service or a neighboring jurisdiction."

The center is currently equipped with 10 call taking positions to field emergency and administrative calls, as well as to dispatch calls to first responders at the Decatur Police Department, Decatur Fire and Rescue, the Morgan County Rescue Squad, Trinity Police Department, Priceville Police Department, Decatur EMS and 22 volunteer fire departments. MCEMCD has been a PlantCML customer since 2003.

In 2010, the MCEMCD fielded approximately 60,000 emergency calls and dispatched more than 140,000 incidents to first responders. Over 70 percent of emergency calls to MCEMCD are now placed using wireless devices, and the Sentinel Patriot solution makes it easier to locate wireless callers.

"The MCEMCD Board is committed to utilizing the best technology available for dispatchers so that we can provide the highest level of service to the people of Morgan County," said Tom Barry, chairman of the MCEMCD board of directors.

"Upgrading to a flexible and reliable communications system such as the Sentinel Patriot solution enables the MCEMCD call takers and dispatchers to utilize modern functionality with flexible configurations to meet their specific needs," said Carlos Avila, vice president, call center application sales for PlantCML. "Those on the front line of an emergency will benefit from this upgrade to a NG9-1-1 solution."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 582 square mile Morgan County is home to nearly 118,000 citizens. Located on the Tennessee River, Morgan County is a destination for several annual festivals and events, including the Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Festival and the Spirit of America Festival, which attract more than 65,000 visitors.

The Sentinel Patriot solution is a robust, state-of-the-art software solution developed to accommodate the physical and functional specifications of today's emergency call centers yet be flexible enough to adapt to tomorrow's needs. It is based on a distributed Internet Protocol (IP) architecture, featuring a fully integrated PBX with redundant servers and no single point of failure. It also offers a full suite of computer telephony features that include automatic call distribution (ACD), automatic number identification (ANI) and automatic location identification (ALI) capabilities.