CHANDLER — Arizona has implemented the last elements of its “Next Generation 911” system designed to ensure cell phone users have as much access to the emergency system as those calling from home or office have had for years.
Officials from the state Department of Administration, which played a role in crafting and implementing the $48.5 million system, said Monday there is now full statewide coverage, with the exception of the Navajo and Hopi tribal communities. But Elizabeth Alvorado-Thorson, the agency’s director, said it’s more than about being able to call for emergency help with a cell phone.
The system can locate someone within three feet, Alvorado-Thorson said. It also has the capacity to receive text calls — something that can be helpful where a phone battery may be dying — as well accept video and audio so a dispatcher can see and hear what is going on…