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Nebraska 911 plan would allow for text, photo, video reports

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's 911 director is proposing a plan that would enable emergency reporting via text, photo or video.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that Director David Sankey updated Nebraska lawmakers Wednesday on a plan to implement an upgraded 911 system statewide in 2019.

The system would cost an estimated $6.5 million annually and be funded through an existing monthly surcharge on wireless phones. Sankey says the Public Service Commission has a $12 million reserve which would be used for the upgrade.

The system would also link to geographic information system mapping, which would help dispatchers pinpoint a call location if callers can't talk or don't know their addresses.

About 80 percent of emergency calls in the state are made on mobile phones, many of which have multimedia functions.

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