Monticello Reviewing
Possible 911 Changes

By John Emerson
MONTICELLO — March 3, 2000 -- Within the next two to three weeks, Monticello village residents will know if their addresses are changing to accommodate the new E-911 system, or if they will be able to keep their current addresses.
At a news conference yesterday, Mayor Gary Sommers announced that addresses on 75 of the village’s 135 streets are now being reviewed to determine if they can be grandfathered.
About 25 percent of the village’s streets – 35 out of 135 – had to have changes in the addresses because odd and even numbers were on the same side of the street or the addresses were a combination of letters and numbers, he said.
The remaining 25 of those 135 streets within the village have already been grandfathered.
Sommers declined to identify specific streets that have already been changed or grandfathered until the review of the numbering system is completed.
The controversy between the village and the county over proposed changes in addresses erupted last week when Sommers and the village board said they would fight to keep all addresses in the village the same. Yesterday, Sommers said that the compromise worked out was the best the village could do at this point. He said the review would allow those addresses to remain the same wherever it is feasible.
“People will know that, with the process of reviewing, everything has been gone over with a fine-toothed comb,” said trustee David Rosenberg. “I think that this will be beneficial for everyone.”
The county’s E-911 coordinator, Kevin Karn, said the system is now undergoing final testing by Bell Atlantic. He said it will come online as soon as the testing is completed. He gave no projection when that will be.
He said the village’s new addresses have already been entered into the database that provides information for dispatchers when calls come in. If the addresses are changed back, then that database will change, and dispatchers are trained to request both the old and the new address when calls are placed.
“Everyone, and especially the dispatchers, are aware of the transition period that will take place,” said Karn. “They are being trained to verify and reverify the address on every call.”
Under the enhanced 911 system, dispatchers can identify where the call is coming from even if the caller cannot respond. A map is displayed on the dispatcher’s screen, instantly identifying the location of the call with the address. This speeds processing of information and allows the dispatcher to direct emergency crews to the precise location.
The review of the village numbering system should not take longer than three weeks, and residents will be notified of their permanent address at the end of the review.