Health & Safety

North Carolina's 911 System Gets An Upgrade

By Bethany Chafin

Published September 18, 2017 at 4:31 PM EDT

A 911 center. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Department of Information Technology

The current 911 system was built in the 1960s and it's pretty out of date.

New technology will connect the state's 117 centers through internet-based routing services.

This allows them to serve as back-up to one another in case of a natural disaster or an overload of emergency calls. It also means a more effective and efficient system in general.

The state is contracting with AT&T on the $99-million project, and it's expected to take a total of seven years.

Most emergency calls are made from mobile devices nowadays. In the future, the new technology will eventually allow citizens to text, send pictures, and video to 911 centers.

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Bethany Chafin

Bethany joined the staff of WFDD in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University and focused on Anglo-Irish writing. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming Assistant News Director, Bethany was a reporter and Associate Producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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North Carolina's 911 System Gets An Upgrade

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