Located near the Vermont border, largely rural Hebron, NY has been in the news lately because of an unfortunate shooting incident. After getting lost and turning down the wrong driveway, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was shot and killed by a homeowner who mistook the unfamiliar car for trespassing on his property. The car she was in and the other vehicles fled, as their drivers searched for cell service. They finally found a cell signal about five miles away, noted The New York Times. As Hebron Town Council Member Jill Nadolski told WTEN-TV, inadequate cell phone service in the area has become an undeniable public safety concern.
Although AT&T provides coverage in Hebron, connectivity is not guaranteed if both parties are not with the carrier, or if someone is not in range of the cell tower, according to WTEN. “Now, we have high-speed broadband. And I am speaking to you on a cell phone through WiFi calling. Now, if my WiFi isn’t working, I have no cell service in my home,” said Nadolski. With WiFi Calling, users can make or receive phone calls if they have a WiFi connection in an area with little or no cellular coverage, according to Apple.
Hebron Town Supervisor, Brian Cambell, said that T-Mobile and Sprint have both expressed an interest in providing service from the existing tower. He speculated that Verizon would be another valuable addition for locals who have Verizon service or Sling, which is related to Verizon. “Verizon would be a good choice,” he noted, “But until they are up and running in the tower, anybody with Verizon still can’t get service.” Town officials agreed that better cell service is now imperative so that emergency assistance is always within reach.
“Frankly I’m pissed that there was no cell service out there because that could have been the difference between a first responder getting there to be able to save my daughter,” Kaylin Gillis’s father, Andrew Gillis, told WRGB-TV. “I can’t say for sure, I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Washington County Attorney, Roger Wickes, noted, “Our radio system, we’ve been trying to continuously upgrade that same thing – hills and valleys, terrain is a challenge – to notify first responders, pagers, and things like that and then to communicate by radio.” Campbell added that he hopes that the urgency of the situation in Hebron prompts carriers to take quick action to eliminate connectivity problems and increase safety for local callers.
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