The Chester County Department of Emergency Services (DES) transitioned its Emergency Communications Center to Next Generation 911, the statewide emergency services internet protocol network from Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Next Generation 911 is a faster and more efficient way for the county's public safety answering point (PSAP) - the 911 call center - to receive emergency calls and associated caller information and, when needed, to transfer them to other 911 call centers in the commonwealth.

Through the new fiber-based network, callers' locations are identified and calls are routed to the appropriate 911 call center using geographic information system (GIS) map data, noted Bill Messerschmidt, director of Chester County's DES. Additionally, the new technology makes way for call centers to potentially receive photos and videos in the future.

Chester County's 911 telecommunicators complete more than 500,000 dispatches for emergency personnel and equipment every year, providing support to 53 police agencies, 40 fire/rescue agencies and 26 emergency medical services agencies.

The update was made possible through PEMA's interconnectivity funding. Chester County follows two other counties in southeastern Pennsylvania - Berks and Delaware counties - in moving to Next Generation 911.