The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

September 29, 2008

911 mapping project set to enter second phase

By Christian Giggenbach

Monroe County’s new “enhanced 911 mapping and addressing project” is set to enter its second phase in which new addresses will be assigned to “every habitable structure and commercial entity in the county,” 911 officials say.

“With enhanced 911 services, when you place a 911 call to the dispatch center, your phone number and address will automatically appear on the dispatch computer screen, and a map of the county will show the dispatcher the location of the residence where the call is placed from when the call answered,” Monroe 911 director Bruce Power said in a news release.

“Citizen cooperation for this program is vital for its success. Providing accurate, location-based addresses to the residents of Monroe County to enhance emergency responses is the driving force behind this project. In order to assign a new address, several types of data must be collected from each household.”

The data being collected includes telephone numbers, occupant information and signatures, Power said, and will be used only for 911 purposes.

“This information will be collected in one of two ways. In the coming months, a representative will be visiting residences requesting (information) and will leave a verification card with pre-paid postage for residents to return,” Power said.

Power said other information, such as which utility companies provide services, will also be requested.

“The United States Post Office needs citizens’ current addresses to properly convert their new addresses so that they will continue to receive mail,” Power said.

Power said without the help of Monroe County citizens, the 911 mapping and addressing project will not be a success.

“(We) cannot make (this project) a reality in Monroe County without citizen cooperation, and their assistance is vital to this process,” Power said.

For more information about the project, contact Bruce Power at 304-772-5137, or e-mail bpower@monroecountywv.net.

— E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

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