The city of Flint is rejoining Genesee County’s 911 system.
Since 1997, the city has been using its own operators to handle emergency calls, but the city’s system is aging and out-of-date.
Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley says the plan is to fold Flint into the county’s 911 system by the middle of next year.
“Our citizens will have access to the most up to date features of next-generation 911, which will include the ability to send text or photos to 911 and other more cutting edge technology,” says Earley.
Earley says the city could save a million dollars a year by joining the county 911 system. Money, Earley says, that could be redirected to other public safety needs.
“That is not the main reason for joining the [Genesee County 911] Consortium,” says Earley, “However, it is one as an emergency manager that I have to recommend because it makes financial sense.”
Lloyd Fayling is the director of the Genesee County 911 Consortium.
He says adding Flint to the county 911 system is not simple, “but it’s a worthy task.”
“It is very much needed, not only for our police officers, firefighters and our EMS staff, but for our citizens,” says Fayling.
Fayling says adding Flint will reduce delays by having all the dispatching handled under one roof.
