First 911 call took place 50 years ago

MILTON — Santa Rosa County Emergency Communications celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first 9-1-1 call.

On Feb. 16, 1968, Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite made the inaugural call from Haleyville City Hall. From that small beginning, 9-1-1 technology has become more sophisticated in response to consumer expectations. Each advancement has improved our nation's ability to get better, more reliable information to first responders so they can do their job saving lives and property. 

Santa Rosa County Emergency Communications was established in the 1970s with a small staff and was housed in what is now Santa Rosa County public services complex. The center moved into the Santa Rosa County courthouse in the 1980s, and in the 1990s it was relocated again to what is now the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. From 1998 to present, dispatch has been located in Santa Rosa County Emergency Management at 4499 Pine Forest Road in Milton.

In 1986, Santa Rosa County was the first in the United States to implement the SALI System (Stand Alone Automatic Location Identification) allowing 9-1-1 calls to come with location information. There were approximately 30,000 land line phones at that time. In January of 2017, the county became one of the first in the region to implement text-to-911 service, expanding critical access for the deaf and hard of hearing as well as a safer option for individuals in dangerous situations such as domestic disputes, home invasions or kidnappings.

Today there are approximately 35,000 land lines phones and 97,600 cell phones in use in Santa Rosa County. The emergency communications division has grown to 23 full-time, highly trained staff and handled 60,244 emergency calls in 2017.

Contact 911 Quality Assurance Coordinator Kevin Sowell at 983-5355 for more information.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: First 911 call took place 50 years ago