WOLCOTT, Conn. (AP) The town of Wolcott has a new 911 system that will allow police to pinpoint the location of emergency calls made from cell phones.
The Republican-American newspaper reports the town today becomes the first in the state to use the next-generation system in a pilot program that eventually will include the New Britain, Wilton, Enfield, Newington, Valley Shore, Fairfield, Middletown, Mashantucket and Shelton police departments .
Under the old system, police could find the location of a wireless 911 call within a quarter-mile radius. The new system shows dispatchers the caller's location within a 50-foot radius.
Police chief Eward Stephens says callers won't notice any difference when making an emergency call.
Officials say about 80 percent of 911 calls come from wireless phones.