KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Sen. Margaret O’Brien, R-Portage, is touting her amendment in the Senate’s budget proposal that would implement a statewide “Smart 911” system.
It would allow dispatchers to view elected personal information from a computer database during an emergency.
“If there’s a fire in your house and you call 911, immediately they’re able to pull up the profile of your house,” O’Brien said. “If you mentioned that your 90-year-old grandmother lives with you and she’s bedridden, they would know immediately there’s a vulnerable person in this house.”
O’Brien also said participation would be voluntary.
“If you’re worried about Big Brother, you don’t have to enter anything in,” O’Brien said. “You can enter in as much information as you want.”
$2.2 million was allocated in the Senate’s bill for the system. That money would have to survive conferencing with the House and passage of the budget before implementation.
Currently, there is no implementation timeline.
The Senate passed its version of the budget on Wednesday.
