Feature on new Collier County 911 system ineffective

NAPLES, Fla. – Several Collier County fire departments were not prepared for Tuesday’s launch of $4 million upgrades to a 911 system.

The upgrades allow the crews closest to an emergency call to respond to the situation through use of GPS. But without the full participation, a feature in the new system was rendered ineffective.

Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller was angered that several fire departments were not ready the launch of the new system, which was funded by taxpayers.

“There is no excuse for this not being online today. They’ve had two years to get this done,” Hiller said.

Greater Naples Fire Rescue Chief Kingman Schuldt said the departments were held up by a decision to purchase devices for the system. He said he was advised to purchase tablets to cut costs, but purchased laptops.

“It’s my job to be as prudent as I can with the finances involved and we have a limited amount of funds,” Shuldt said. “We wanted to make the best decision for our district.”

The best decision was to buy computers for their increased technology instead of tablets, Shuldt said. The technology will allow firefighters to locate the closest fire hydrants and view floor plans of buildings. Shuldt believes it will trim valuable seconds off of response times and work in conjunction with the new 911 system to save lives.

Shuldt said the system should be operating for the fire departments “as soon as possible.”

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said it could take up to a month.

The old 911 system is still functioning.