Sheriff Richard Behnke is seeking to have dispatchers with the county’s 911 call center working smarter instead of harder in the coming months.

The sheriff is hoping to move forward with plans to enroll the county in the national Smart 911 program, he announced during Thursday’s meeting of the Cass County Board of Commissioners. If implemented, the system would provide county dispatchers with additional information about callers who contact emergency services from cellphones, including their home address and pre-existing medical conditions.

The sheriff told the commissioners that there is no better time then now for Cass County to jump on board. Following a recommendation by Michigan’s Mental Health and Wellness Commission late last year, the state is encouraging Public Service Answering Points to enroll in Smart 911 by offering grant money that will cover the costs of using the service for 18 months.

“All 120 PSAPs in the state are eligible for this grant,” Behnke said. “So far, 40 PSAPs have taken advantage of it, and we would like to do so as well.”

In order to apply for the funds, the sheriff will need approval from the county commissioners, Behnke said Thursday. If the commissioners sign off, the sheriff’s office could have the new system in place within 90 days, Behnke said.

Annual service costs will run the county between $8,000 to $12,000, the sheriff said. If the state chooses not to cease grant funding to pay for the service past the initial 18 months, the sheriff’s office will absorb the costs into its 911 center budget, he added.

The Cass County 911 Center — located next to the county government office in Cassopolis — has had a similar caller information system in place for nearly 20 years, though it only applies to residents who call via landlines. With a greater number of county residents ditching traditional phone service and exclusively using mobile phones for service, the old system is quickly becoming obsolete, Behnke said.

The system works by allowing county residents to register their cell phone number with the Smart 911 service through an website. On the site, residents will be able to enter as much or as little information about themselves and their home, from what medical problems they or their families have to how many guns they own and where they keep their ammunition, Behnke said.

“It is all voluntary information,” he said. “It is whatever you want to provide.”

The user’s information will appear before 911 operators during an emergency call to assist them when dispatching police or other safety crews to the scene. However, the data is not retrievable by the department outside of emergency calls, Behnke said.

On top of providing first responders with valuable information, Smart 911 data can also help officers locate cellphone callers who do not provide their address to operators, Behnke said. Currently, all dispatchers have to work with are vague coordinates that are often imprecise, depending on the amount of cell towers in the area the call was made.

“If you were to call from this room here [in Cassopolis], depending on the cellphone company you have, it may end up showing that you were calling from the middle of Diamond Lake,” Behnke said.

The commissioners will vote on whether or not to move forward with the grant application at their next meeting on Feb. 16. If approved, the sheriff’s office will have until Feb. 20 to submit its application before deadline.