NEZPERCE - The recent annexation by the Winchester Rural Fire District will require Lewis County to update its geographic information system maps and enhanced 911 system to reflect the new taxing district.

But the county might as well get used to it, a data systems expert said Monday, because such systems call for continual maintenance just to stay relevant.

"You don't finish 911; you start it," said Angela Vanderpas, the GIS-E911 coordinator for Clearwater County.

Vanderpas discussed the current situation with county employees during a meeting at the Lewis County Courthouse.

Continual maintenance is a public safety issue, she said. Any time a new taxing district is created or annexed, GIS maps need to reflect the change. The more detailed information dispatchers have, the better they can direct emergency services when there is a 911 call. Besides the official data of road and section names, it's even helpful to have landmark information, such as streams, buildings and places that are known by colloquial names, such as the Pink House near Lenore.

"It's really a valuable took and it really cuts down on errors and response time," Vanderpas said. "At the end of the day it's about public service."

The county commissioners said all five north central Idaho counties are in the process of developing a regionwide map that would help dispatchers in situations where emergency service providers overlap territory.

Vanderpas said that there is a push for counties to implement next-generation 911 services that would be all data-driven. Getting the counties' emergency maps updated now, she said, "won't be such a job. You're going to be ahead of the game for next generation."

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Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com (208) 983-2326.