News Editor

As the new Enhanced-911 director for Pike County, Tina Jones wants everyone to know that the new E-911 system, which will be in place by November, will help reduce the time it takes for emergency personnel to get to their destinations.

Jones, who is from Troy, formerly served as the assistant E-911 director for Dale County, which just went online with the same type of system which will be implemented in Pike County.

"We used the same addressing company and are setting up the same linear system as in Dale County," she said.

Jones said her main objective is to let people know how the system will work and why it will be more efficient than the current one. She said the county has been divided into seven quadrants. The system begins with a sequence of numbers on the county’s roads and for each residence on those roads. She said the number on the road tells emergency personnel where that road is and the number on each residence tells them approximately how far down the road that residence is.

Jones said the Linear system is based on the mile, which is 5,208 feet and potentially has room for 1,000 residences in each. The numbers on each road and residence increase moving farther out of town, similar to the block system which most towns are based on.

Jones said that’s why the system inside the city limits of Troy did not have to be renumbered because every business and residence already has a physical numbered address. She said the current rural route system in the county is not the same way. "For instance, Route 1, covers a lot of area, encompassing any number of roads and residences," she

added.

Jones said the new system will eliminate the need for a description of the residence to be given to emergency personnel. She said those who respond to the calls will be trained in how the system works and will have a map book in their vehicle with each road listed in it.

Jones said when the E-911 dispatcher receives a call, the resident’s telephone number and address will be displayed. "This is to ensure we know where the call came from if the caller is unable to speak," she said.

She added that the City of Troy has agreed to be the central E-911 dispatch for the entire county. When a call is received it will be answered by the Troy dispatcher who will then transfer it to the appropriate agency.

Jones, herself, is certified to train emergency personnel in how to use the new system. She has been certified to teach the new system by the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials.

Also to her credit, Jones holds a dispatcher training certification and is credentialed as an intermediate level Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

Jones explained that the residents of the county need to have the numbers of their address readable from the road at night. She said there is no need to run out and buy the new numbers yet, or start using the new address until the U.S. Postal Service notifies residents that it is time.

Jones said the Post Office will forward mail for one year that is addressed to the old addresses, but after that the new addresses will take full effect. "You will have to use your new address after that one-year grace period," she said.

Jones said no road names were going to be changed, but each road will be assigned a number. The new numbered signs will be placed above the existing road signs, she said.

"Those people who get their mail at a post office box will keep their same mailing address," said Jones. "They will use their physical address only if they call 911, so they still need to fill out the information packet and send it in."

Jones said those who try to refuse to participate in the system will eventually cost the county more money.

"They’ll just delay the inevitable and it will cost the county (and taxpayers) more to implement the new system and do more drops of the information packets," she said.

Jones is married to Mark Jones and they have one son Joshua, 4. She also has two stepchildren, Davey Jones, 14, and Kaylee Jones, 9, of Goshen.

Jones said she is looking forward to working in Pike County and is asking everyone who has not filled out their packets and sent them in to hurry up and do so, in order to meet the Nov. 1 deadline. "We can get the deadline extended, but we don’t want to do that because it will cost the county more money," she said.

If anyone has any questions concerning the new enhanced 911 system, Jones said they can reach her at 670-6600. She added that due to the volume of calls she has already received it may take awhile, but she will return everyone’s call as soon as possible.