Saving lives: New $11M technology helps NC troopers reach people faster

An equipment upgrade for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol could help state troopers save lives by finding people faster.

An $11.1 million project that began during the COVID-19 pandemic is nearly complete, and over the past several months, the agency has upgraded its dispatch system.

The State Highway Patrol will soon be able to pinpoint a caller's location with GPS immediately and easily identify the nearest available trooper.

How could this help?

If a driver is in a part of the state they don't know very well and witnesses a bad crash, it could be difficult to describe the location to 911 dispatchers. Now the State Highway Patrol will know.

Troopers will also be able to view the caller's details in real time on their laptop.

"Being able to find someone who calls us and says, 'I'm stranded on the highway but I don't know exactly where I am,' our trooper is not searching for unneeded minutes, they're going right to where someone needs help," explained First Sgt. Christopher Knox, a spokesperson for the State Highway Patrol.

The new system also allows troopers to see each other on a map, making it easier to provide backup or respond to emergencies.

Before this upgrade, troopers mainly communicated only over the phone or radio.

The project was funded by federal COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

“It’s going to improve public safety and trooper safety, and make sure we’re providing the best services possible,” says Captain Kevin Owens, Unit Commander for the NCSHP Technical Services Unit.

The computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system project is expected to be completed by early 2025.