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BELLEFONTE -- When you call 911, you count on first responders to be dispatched to your location as quickly as possible. But what happens when those first responders end up at the wrong address?
To ensure help arrives where it's needed, the Centre County Commissioners have approved the replacement of the county's current, outdated 911 street addressing database, which has been in use since 1999.
"Street names are more common than you might think," said Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Higgins. "There have been several instances in multiple counties throughout the commonwealth where the fire department, before these upgrades, would be dispatched to the wrong street. It was the right name. It was even the right address. It was just in the wrong community."
In Centre County, there are over 79,000 addressable structures and more than 5,600 different road names, according to Director of Emergency Communications Norman Spackman II. This provides ample potential for conflicting addresses that can confuse first responders.
The new database, Spackman says, will reduce the risk that assistance will be dispatched to lookalike addresses in the wrong area.
The $12,000 contract with 911 Authority, LLC, a State College based company, will replace the existing database with Microsoft SQL software. The contract is for the period of June 15, 2025 to May 31, 2026.
The project includes the addition of new Next Gen 9-1-1-required data fields, building new forms, developing a new user interface and creating updated reports needed for 911 street addressing.
At the meeting, Commissioner Steve Dershem asked Spackman if callers on the periphery of the county are automatically connected to Centre County's dispatchers or to those in the neighboring county.
The director clarified that, in Centre County, Liberty Township and a portion of Curtin are covered by Clinton County's 911 operations, but that Centre County coordinates closely with its neighbors to ensure callers get the help they need, as quickly as possible.
"We're very fortunate that we share data back and forth with our surrounding counties," said Spackman. "We have their data. They have ours."
Commissioner Steve Dershem said this, "emphasizes the need to work together regionally and make sure that there's coordination for those addresses."
On a related note, Commissioner Amber Concepcion highlighted Monday evening's first use of the county's new emergency mass notification service, ALERTCentre.
Provided by Rave Mobile Safety, a Motorola company, ALERTCentre is designed to deliver faster, more reliable notifications to residents during emergencies that threaten public safety.
Shortly before 9 p.m., an ALERTCentre Tornado Warning was issued to residents of Southeastern Centre County.
"Last night, when there was a tornado warning, I think everyone who was in your system got that (message)," said Concepcion.
The director of emergency communications described the event as their "first real, true launch" of the system.
Spackman added that there ultimately appeared to be no tornado, and call volume at the 911 dispatch center remained relatively low.
"The outcome was good from this storm compared to the other two we've recently had," he said.
To enroll in ALERTCentre notifications, visit the Centre County Smart911 website using the URL below; here you have the option to select what method you want to receive the alert: via text, phone call, email or all three. You can enroll multiple family members for the one household address. Register at: www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=centrecountypa.