Augusta 911 eyes reserve funds for Next Gen upgrades following new amendment vote

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Georgia voters approved Amendment 3, which allows the state to create a dedicated fund for Next Generation 911, an upgrade to the capabilities of 911 call centers.911 Director Daniel Dunlap said the amendment “allows the Georgia, the governing authority, if you will, to create and establish a separate fund strictly for next generation 911 that allows us to operate and maintain and support the next generation services.”What changes for 911 callersDunlap said dispatchers may have to guess a caller’s location based on nearby cell towers. With Next Generation 911, dispatchers can pinpoint a caller’s exact location, similar to how Uber or DoorDash works.Callers also could send photos and videos or live stream directly with dispatchers, such as to identify a suspect or send pictures of a crash.Next Generation 911 is intended to give pinpoint GPS accuracy and allow dispatchers to see what a caller sees.Dunlap said getting a location faster would allow dispatchers to