U South Carolina Aiken Adds 911 Pinpoint Service

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/09/14

Until last year, if a 911 call was made from a landline on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken, the dispatcher would see the street address for the institution: 471 University Parkway. But that wouldn’t help pinpoint where the caller was actually located among the school's 20 buildings. Recently, to improve emergency response, the university implemented a "911 Pinpoint" service.

First, however, the university had to name the streets on campus through a process that included student involvement. New road signs designate "Scholar Loop," "Leadership Drive," "Champion Way," "Proud Pacer Drive," and "College Station Drive." Next, 900 phone extensions on campus were enhanced with location identifiers. Now, when an emergency call goes out to 911, the call data also displays the campus road and the building and road name from which the call was made.

"It is crucial for emergency responders to be equipped with specific locations in case of any emergency situation on the USC Aiken campus," said Chancellor Sandra Jordan. "We want to have a safe and secure environment for our students as well as for our faculty and staff."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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