Memphis to Get New 9-1-1 System

Earlier this month, Shelby County, Tennessee - which includes the city of Memphis - announced it would soon be soliciting bids to replace the various 911 dispatch systems currently being used in the county. This replacement effort will involve creating a uniform geospatial database for the entire county so future city and county dispatch efforts will be using identical location information. The county is anticipating spending between $3 and $6 million on the project. To learn more, click the link below to read an article from the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

911 Board Mapping Out New Plans, Seeks New GIS System

Comment: Although this article does not come out and say it directly, the Memphis effort appears driven by the State of Tennessee's desire to implement Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) statewide; a system that simply will not work without a highly accurate geospatial database that is shared. And what's happening in Tennessee is the tip of the iceberg of what is beginning to take place all across the U.S.A., to include a similar effort currently underway in Minnesota. Behind it all is the need to ensure 911 systems of the future will be able to effectively manage emerging communication technologies ranging from multi-media messaging to video.

On a related side note, the URISA/National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Addressing Conference will be held in Memphis on August 6-9, 2012.  An event which is certain to turn anyone into....a hunka, hunka burning love.....

Lead Image Credit: lindahoodsigmontruth.com