MONROE - Most of the calls made to the Green County 9-1-1 system last year were from wireless phones.
"We received 6,819 calls last year and probably about 60 percent of them were from wireless phones," Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said.
Wireless calls are separated into three categories:
• Phase One means the wireless phones are older and not equipped for mapping. These are impossible to trace, Green County Sheriff Lt. Rick Campbell said.
• Phase Two allows the department to track calls to the nearest cellular tower. These also are difficult to trace because the person might not be close to the cell tower that picks up the call. The person could be several miles away, Campbell said.
• Phase Three allows the department to track a call to within a few yards from where it's made. Most cell phones are now equipped with a computer chip that allows them to be traced to an exact location. Campbell said a person on the Sugar River Bike Trail was injured last year when he crashed his bike. Emergency Medical Services were able to locate him quickly because the sheriff's department was able to find his location.
"We received 6,819 calls last year and probably about 60 percent of them were from wireless phones," Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said.
Wireless calls are separated into three categories:
• Phase One means the wireless phones are older and not equipped for mapping. These are impossible to trace, Green County Sheriff Lt. Rick Campbell said.
• Phase Two allows the department to track calls to the nearest cellular tower. These also are difficult to trace because the person might not be close to the cell tower that picks up the call. The person could be several miles away, Campbell said.
• Phase Three allows the department to track a call to within a few yards from where it's made. Most cell phones are now equipped with a computer chip that allows them to be traced to an exact location. Campbell said a person on the Sugar River Bike Trail was injured last year when he crashed his bike. Emergency Medical Services were able to locate him quickly because the sheriff's department was able to find his location.