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New technology helps 911 find cellphone locations

Action News Investigates tests LaaSer 911 at Derry Township home where woman died while waiting for 911

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New technology helps 911 find cellphone locations
Action News Investigates tests LaaSer 911 at Derry Township home where woman died while waiting for 911
Action News Investigates revealed earlier this year how 911 centers are unable to locate many callers who use cellphones, including Randy Ankney, whose mother died while a 911 operator was trying to find out where she was.A company says it has figured out how to prevent tragedies like that.The company’s CEO agreed to do a test from Ankney’s home in Derry Township.VIDEO: Watch Paul Van Osdol's investigationAnkney lives in Westmoreland County, but the 911 call he made from his kitchen went to Indiana County. That's because his cellphone pinged a tower that connected to the Indiana 911 center.His address did not show up on Indiana County's dispatch computer. And they could not find him because Westmoreland County is not on their maps.It took nine minutes from the time Ankney called 911 until Indiana County could transfer him to Westmoreland for an ambulance.“And nine minutes, you're going to lose a life,” Ankney said.911 officials admit they cannot get precise locations of cellphone callers, who make up 70 percent of their calls. The FCC has ordered phone companies to come up with a solution.Related: Phone companies accused of failing to pay millions in 911 feesA startup tech company called LaaSer 911 says it has a solution, allowing 911 to get exact locations of cellphone callers.After seeing our story about Ankney, LaaSer 911 CEO Fred White came to his house to do a test.He called 911 using a phone without LaaSer and got the same result as Ankney. But it was a different story when he used LaaSer.Dispatcher: “Westmoreland 911.”Fred White: “Hi, this is not an emergency, this is a field service test call. Can you confirm the address that just showed on your screen?”Dispatcher: “113 Ankney Road, Derry Township.”LaaSer found the right address and the right 911 center."When you use LaaSer, we actually determine the location of the phone ourselves and we route the call without asking the tower network where it should go," White said. "We route it based off the actual location."Westmoreland County's public safety director was impressed.“Our past experience is cellphone calls have not been that accurate, and this has shown that it did work. This is what we need,” said Public Safety Director Bud Mertz.Ankney agreed.“We need this technology. This technology is going to save lives,” he said.An FCC study found that 10,000 lives a year could be saved if 911 response time for cellphone calls improved by just one minute.LaaSer is not an app. The company wants its technology in all phones, including flip phones like the one Ankney uses, and it says the cost should be covered by monthly 911 fees.The company recently won approval for a patent and says it is close to announcing partnerships with local governments, a major electronics company and a large 911 provider.

Action News Investigates revealed earlier this year how 911 centers are unable to locate many callers who use cellphones, including Randy Ankney, whose mother died while a 911 operator was trying to find out where she was.
A company says it has figured out how to prevent tragedies like that.

The company’s CEO agreed to do a test from Ankney’s home in Derry Township.

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VIDEO: Watch Paul Van Osdol's investigation

Ankney lives in Westmoreland County, but the 911 call he made from his kitchen went to Indiana County. That's because his cellphone pinged a tower that connected to the Indiana 911 center.

His address did not show up on Indiana County's dispatch computer. And they could not find him because Westmoreland County is not on their maps.

It took nine minutes from the time Ankney called 911 until Indiana County could transfer him to Westmoreland for an ambulance.

“And nine minutes, you're going to lose a life,” Ankney said.

911 officials admit they cannot get precise locations of cellphone callers, who make up 70 percent of their calls. The FCC has ordered phone companies to come up with a solution.

Related: Phone companies accused of failing to pay millions in 911 fees

A startup tech company called LaaSer 911 says it has a solution, allowing 911 to get exact locations of cellphone callers.

After seeing our story about Ankney, LaaSer 911 CEO Fred White came to his house to do a test.

He called 911 using a phone without LaaSer and got the same result as Ankney. But it was a different story when he used LaaSer.

Dispatcher: “Westmoreland 911.”

Fred White: “Hi, this is not an emergency, this is a field service test call. Can you confirm the address that just showed on your screen?”

Dispatcher: “113 Ankney Road, Derry Township.”

LaaSer found the right address and the right 911 center.

"When you use LaaSer, we actually determine the location of the phone ourselves and we route the call without asking the tower network where it should go," White said. "We route it based off the actual location."

Westmoreland County's public safety director was impressed.

“Our past experience is cellphone calls have not been that accurate, and this has shown that it did work. This is what we need,” said Public Safety Director Bud Mertz.

Ankney agreed.

“We need this technology. This technology is going to save lives,” he said.

An FCC study found that 10,000 lives a year could be saved if 911 response time for cellphone calls improved by just one minute.

LaaSer is not an app. The company wants its technology in all phones, including flip phones like the one Ankney uses, and it says the cost should be covered by monthly 911 fees.

The company recently won approval for a patent and says it is close to announcing partnerships with local governments, a major electronics company and a large 911 provider.