CARCIERI HONORS PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF MEMBER
Exemplary Service Saves A Life

03-31-2004

Governor Donald L. Carcieri today cited a trainee telecommunicator at the Rhode Island E-911 Emergency Telephone System for his outstanding service in helping police to locate and rescue a woman after a traffic accident in Providence one week ago.

The accident the night of March 24 night left a car lying in a hole in a construction area on India Point in Providence. An injured woman in the car used her cell phone to call 911 for help and Mark Satchell answered the call. Governor Carcieri noted in the citation that Satchell "provided comfort and support to the caller while gathering vital information, mapping data, and maintaining communication with the Rhode Island State Police until the caller was rescued."

"This case exemplifies the importance of highly trained and dedicated staff members, and their ability to use technology to help save lives," noted Governor Carcieri. "Mr. Satchell employed his training and persistence for some 40 minutes to help define the location and direct rescuers to an accident scene that was almost impossible to find in the dark."

A newer, state-of-the-art technology, the Geographic Information System (GIS), would have enabled E-911 to rapidly pinpoint the Providence location, but that technology currently exists only in eight smaller communities in this state.

The Governor's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 includes $1.6 million to expand that GIS location technology to the state's core population centers including Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket and Central Falls.