Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus announced today the completion of the Dutchess County Wireless 9-1-1 Locator implementation.

The latest phase of this effort provides for the passing of the Wireless (cell phone) 9-1-1 caller’s Latitude and Longitude position (commonly referred to as X-Y coordinates) to the Dutchess 9-1-1 Center.

The Exec said, “We have made the availability of a new Computer Assisted Dispatching System (CADS) a top public safety initiative of my administration.”

The new CADS will include a mapping system that will automatically plot calls made from cell phones.

According to County Executive Steinhaus, “We have all read news accounts… Implementation of this service has already paid off, locally.”

Recently the County 9-1-1 Center received a call from a motorist who was involved in an auto accident and did not know their location. Dispatchers were able to locate the caller on the Taconic State Parkway.

All six wireless carriers serving Dutchess County are now sending Wireless 9-1-1 calls to the County’s 9-1-1 Center.

County Executive Steinhaus added that residents should ensure their devices transmit location coordinates properly in emergencies.

The 9-1-1 Center dispatched service response to over 150,000 incidents in 2005, with 46,000 from cell phones.