Correct 911 House Number Key to Emergency Response

CORNWALL — It was a dark and stormy night. Winds howled and lightning flashed on the first night in December, a rare sort of winter storm.

In Cornwall, emergency volunteers were dispatched to a home with electrical problems. They headed for a Kent Road address as instructed, which is Route 7, south of the center of the village of Cornwall Bridge.

They soon discovered the call was from a home eight miles away, in Sharon, to be precise.

Luckily, the situation was not a critical one. The home in question experienced a decrease in power related to power lines to the house. No one was in jeopardy.

But they could have been.

And the response time would have been even longer had volunteers not already been standing by at firehouses. How Did This Happen?

It was a combination of human and technical error, according to Litchfield County Dispatch (LCD) General Manager Alan Gawel, which provides 911 services for Northwest Corner towns.

He investigated the call, and spelled out for The Journal exactly what happened that night, noting that Cornwall emergency services respond to Sharon calls along Route 7.

The caller stated his address as 441 Route 7. The information that appeared on the automated 911 system showed 441 Kent Road. A little later in the call, the dispatcher asked if the caller meant Kent Road. That address was confirmed by the resident — that section of Route 7 was formerly known as Kent Road.

In this case, the caller was initially correct. The data, supplied to the 911 system by AT&T, was wrong.

It is not an unusual scenario, which is why LCD has specific guidelines for dealing with it.

"If there is a discrepancy between what the caller says and what comes up on the screen, the dispatcher is supposed to ask the caller again," Gawel said.

The dispatcher erred in leading the caller with his question, and not asking it immediately.

"If there is no address discrepancy, we don’t waste time confirming it," Gawel said. "The dispatcher followed procedure in confirming the address, but not exactly as he should have."

Factored into these calls is emotion. Callers are often upset, frightened, in danger, injured and/or sick. In this case, Gawel said the caller was not frantic. The address posed by the dispatcher probably made sense to him because that was the road’s designation before 911. The Signs, They Are a-Changing Changes in road names were not uncommon when the system was established in Litchfield County in 1989. It wasn’t that long in the past that those older addresses were retired, so someone in distress might still blurt one out under stress.

To counter that, a Geographic Information System (GIS), using global satellite positioning, was put in place.

"It is an excellent tool, but right now, it is very inaccurate," Gawel said. "When a call comes in from either a cell phone or land line, an ‘X’ is marked on a map on the screen. It gives the dispatcher a visual: the names of cross streets and landmarks. The problem is, the ‘X’ is not often accurate."

Even street names are incorrectly marked, and numbering ranges for each block are not always correct.

The state is working on it. About eight months ago, every town was sent maps to correct and send back for system updating. Increase in Cell Calls

Gawel conferred with LCD Communications Manager Marty Lillis, who oversees the dispatch control room, about areas that may be of specific concern in LCD’s 19-town dispatch area.

"Nothing came to his mind specifically, but a recent big change is an increase in cellular service," Gawel said. "It’s great that we get almost instantaneous notice of an accident, either from someone involved or someone driving by.

"But often people don’t know where they are, and it’s difficult when there are few landmarks, especially on Route 8.

"The only thing we usually have to go by is the last exit number the caller passed, but they usually can’t remember, even if they are from around here. Drivers are just thinking about their destination." Getting the Most From 911

Here are Gawel’s tips for maximizing response time, and simply getting that ambulance, fire truck or police car to your home or business.

• "Foremost is having address numbers clearly marked by the road. Some towns have ordinances requiring it, but it’s something you should want to do. It is the best way to assure you can be found in an emergency."

Address numbers also give travelers precise location information to pass on to LCD.

• When you’re driving, always pay attention to where you are.

• If you see an accident and have a cell phone, stop if it’s safe to do so. Try to determine the extent of injuries and other particulars to let LCD know quickly what is needed, or not. Many drivers continue on and make the call, Gawel said, when they could be of much greater help if they stop.

• If there is no cell service available, drivers should try to stop and seek a regular phone nearby. If none is available, they should make a quick assessment and drive to a phone or cell service area.

• The best help is to determine as exact a location as possible, even if that means clocking the mileage to where you can make the call.

• Make sure you know exactly what address will bring emergency help to your home. It is not unusual for an ambulance to drive up and down a road looking for the right house or driveway to a hidden home.

• The 911 listings are available at Town Halls. Go check how your home is listed.