Cherokee County Launches IP-Based 911 Network to Strengthen Public Safety Communications

A new 911 system is up and running in Cherokee County, S.C. The county recently upgraded its aging 911 infrastructure with AT&T ESInet™ and completed the first call on the new system. The technology serves 57,000 residents and supports the emerging needs for emergency communication from callers to public safety entities.

AT&T ESInet is an IP-based call routing service that will help public safety answering points (PSAPs) keep up with the current and future needs of its callers. Using AT&T ESInet’s modern network architecture and the National Emergency Number Association’s i3 standards., PSAPs will be able to provide a more reliable and improved 911 experience.

Cherokee County receives more than 200,000 911 calls each year. These will now be managed using AT&T ESInet to better support increasing call volumes. And with the AT&T customer network management portal, the county will have greater visibility into their incoming call traffic, a better view of network performance and improved policy routing visibility.

“We take a lot of pride in our 911 work in Cherokee County and strive to provide the highest quality of service possible to the citizens and visitors of Cherokee County.,” said Brandon Peeler, Cherokee County 911 Deputy Director. “We always want to be on the leading edge of integrating new technology to strengthen public safety for our community. With the addition of AT&T ESInet, we are enhancing our 911 services with a faster, more resilient system so that we can continue focusing on serving the community.”

With AT&T ESInet, Cherokee County can:                        

• Provide more targeted response to help save time and improve outcomes. AT&T ESInet lets PSAPs manage how calls and text messages are routed to help ensure they reach the desired 911 agency. With location-based geospatial routing, PSAPs can quickly adjust their service boundaries to accommodate unforeseen situations.
• Handle unexpected call volumes. When calls spike, AT&T ESInet helps the County to better route traffic to alternate sites in the event of a primary PSAP outage.
• Maintain service during a natural or man-made disaster. Cherokee County will have access to call processing locations distributed throughout the country for backup support as needed. This helps Cherokee County to work more closely with other ESInet customers within South Carolina and neighboring North Carolina counties.
• Improve incident awareness. In the future, Cherokee County will be able to support pictures and videos sent via text message by citizens.

“Every second counts with 911 calls, and it’s important to have the right technology to help ensure citizens get the best possible service,” said Brian Troup, vice president, AT&T Global Public Sector. “We’re honored that Cherokee County selected AT&T to provide the county’s NextGen911 service as they take their public safety effort to the next level.”

To learn more about AT&T ESInet, go here.