Missouri gets $1.7 million to help 911 pinpoint callers' locations

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri has received $1.7 million to help 911 dispatchers identify callers' locations.

Missouri lags behind much of the nation with its 911 network, especially in handling calls from cell phones or Internet-based services. A recent consultant report found that many counties could only track 911 calls from landline phones.

The $1.7 million will be distributed among 19 call centers around Missouri for upgrading equipment and buying software.

Those improvements should allow dispatchers to map where calls originate, give directions to emergency responders and identify the caller's phone number.