DeKalb County has decreased the time it takes to answer a 911 call by 81 percent in the last three years, officials announced Tuesday.
In 2007, the answer time for 911 calls was 38 seconds. In 2010, DeKalb decreased that time to seven seconds, 911 Commander Major James Conroy told the DeKalb County Commission.
Conroy said many of the calls are answered immediately in zero seconds, but the peak hours of the days increase the average to about seven seconds.
The county is now trying to decrease that answer time to about 5 seconds by adding 45 additional 911 operators. The operators will be paid for by an increase in 911 fees on phone bills.
In 2010, the county answer 1.141 million calls, which was about 30,000 less calls than 2009, according to Conroy.
About the Author
