Cell phone fee sought to finance 911 update

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

By James R. Campbell/Nevada Daily Mail

Richard Roark, right, director of the Western Missouri 911 Dispatch Center, reviews legislative issues with Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg. The center dispatches for the Vernon County Sheriff's Office, all rural county fire departments, Vernon County Ambulance District and Nevada police and fire departments.

Playing a crucial behind-the-scenes role, the Western Missouri 9-1-1 Dispatch Center is a busy place, with 13 dispatchers handling more than 2,100 calls per month.

Working 24-7 in teams of two or three in the new county jail building at 2040 E. Hunter St., the center averages 1,400 calls for the Nevada Police Department, 700 for the Vernon County Sheriff's Office, 60-70 for city firefighters and a variable number for rural fire departments and Vernon County Ambulance District.

"We get information about what's going on and relate it to the officers and firefighters so they can adequately respond," Center Director Richard Roark said Friday. "Along with taking emergency calls, we run license plate numbers, check suspects' backgrounds and enter warrants into the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System and National Crime Information Center."

Roark said the county is fortunate to have completed the massive project of addressing all rural residences and businesses on Jan. 1, 2010, but like other jurisdictions throughout the state, it needs the enactment of a cell phone fee to finance a technology update.

He said emergency reports from land lines show the caller's location and enable dispatchers to send help immediately; but cell phones can be problematic if the caller doesn't know where he or she is and the mobile company involved does not have triangulation or GPS locator services.

Roark met Sen. David Pearce recently at Vernon County Courthouse to seek support. He said the Warrensburg Republican was helpful but couldn't predict what legislators might do.

Roark and representatives of three professional organizations plan to visit the General Assembly Jan. 25, in Jefferson City, to ask legislators for an 80-cent monthly fee for every cell phone in the state. The groups are the Missouri 911 Directors' Association, National Emergency Number Association and Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.

Attending a medical emergency class with the center's employees, Friday, in the home economics building at the Vernon County fairgrounds, Roark said the associations "hope to get somewhere this year" with their "Wireless Phase 2" plan.

He noted that the Missouri Sheriffs' and Police Chiefs' associations have given their backing.

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Let me be the first to say "Stay away from my cell phone" I will vote against anyone that votes to charge my cell phone.

-- Posted by truthseeker67 on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 2:18 AM
Some people may not know this but you are probably being charged city taxes on your cell phone bill and don't live in city limits is how the city gets extra money. You need to call your cell phone company and tell them that you live out of city limits and get that charge off your cell phone bill this will add up to over 100 dollars a year or even more.

-- Posted by expressolc on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 4:06 AM
Many of you may not realize this, but cell phone companies have been charging a technology fee for years, unfortunately that fee never gets to your local 911 center, this is a fee that the cell phone company charges just to provide you the ability to call 911 from your line.

Let me ask you this, how much is your life worth, how much is your child's life worth, your father's, mother's, husband's, wife's, how much are their lives worth? Eighty-cents a month is minute compared to my families lives and safety.

You never know when you may need 911, it could happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.....think about it....

-- Posted by UGH....SERIOUSLY on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 8:42 AM
I encourage everyone to educate themselves, please check out this website...

www.save911.org

-- Posted by UGH....SERIOUSLY on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 8:50 AM
Would this be .80 per plan or per phone. Does anyone know.

-- Posted by ccmom on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 11:43 AM
I believe it is .80 per phone per month.

-- Posted by rukiddingme? on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 11:58 AM
First of all I am not a lobbyist. I am someone who has had to use 911 in a time critical, life threatening emergency, and unfortunately suffered a severe loss. Now, understand this, under no circumstances are these fees or taxes, or so I understand, are not being used to pad margins or increase pay. These fees would be used to make sure our 911 center in Vernon County is able to stay up to date with technology.

Keep in mind, the 911 dispatchers do not just answer the phone. They are not just desk clerks, they take you and your family's emergency calls and send the people of our community the help they need when they need it.

How would you feel if all of Vernon County's 911 calls were answered at a call center in Springfield, or perhaps in India. Then those people that know nothing about our community or the people in it, would have to call Vernon County emergency services here and tell them the information. Serious time delays in my opinion. My tactics are not "scare tactics" they are the truth.

-- Posted by UGH....SERIOUSLY on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 12:03 PM
I wouldn't mind paying it. If it could save a life then .80 a month is a very small amount to pay. I understand that some would never use it but it is really no different than your auto or home owners insurance. You hope it is a fee you will never have to use. I would, however, like to see some sort of cap on it so it could not be increased on a regular basis.

-- Posted by ccmom on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 3:06 PM
Howitzer, based on your figure of $196,358, if that is your figure statewide, that only amounts to around $1300.00 per center, there are roughly 150 E911 centers in the state. However, I am not real sure on where you came up with that figure.

And yes I am from around here, I live in rural Vernon County, have lived here all my life. I am just a regular hillbilly like everyone else in this area. I know all about Happy Hollow, Witches Bridge, Pump House, 13 Curves, the old Franklin School, and yes the streets around the square, clockwise, Walnut, Cedar, Cherry and Main.

It astonishes me when people will pay 10 or 15 dollars a month for unlimited texting for their cell phones, or some other amenity, but when it comes to 80 cents a month per line for a fee that could impact your community and possibly save your life it's considered robbery.

I am also surprised to find that people think this money is going into the pockets of dispatchers or their superiors. This money is to be used to improve the technology in the centers. The fees that cell phone providers are charging right now are not fees for 911, 911 centers never see that money. That money is for the cell phone provider to provide their customers with access to 911. That needs to be taken up with the cell phone providers.

Please do some research, go to www.save911.org , just read the questions and open your minds. Do some research, dispatchers in our area haven't had raises in a little over 2 years.

All dispatchers want to do is help. That is their job, to help. With the proper tools they can provide anything from directions to CPR over the phone. When you need someone and no one else is around, a dispatcher will always be there.

-- Posted by UGH....SERIOUSLY on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 6:53 PM
What's that saying......'when the tough get going, dispatchers lead the way'......or wait a second.....maybe it is that dispatchers are the '1st 1st responders'!

I would think that the people of the county who are having issues with possibly having to pay .80 a month could give up a coke, a couple cigarettes,a can of beer or a few french fries if it means having 911 services in the county and their lives being at risk. Otherwise, if they do their research well enough they will find that what's going to happen is they're only going to get a dial tone or their call is going to end up going to China.

I would agree with ccmom in the fact that it's like insurance.....a bear to pay and we don't like to pay for it but better for it to be there when you need it than not!

I think UGH has a great idea and everyone should read into www.save911.org

-- Posted by rukiddingme? on Tue, Jan 11, 2011, at 7:09 PM
If the law was written to say that the money can only be spent on the 911 system then I would support it. It can not be used to pay someone's raise. it can not be used to buy a new coffee maker. It can only be use for the system. I would also support sending said dispatchers and emergency personnel to school to learn the streets of every town in vernon co. The need to learn that Nevada is not the only town in Vernon Co. How many minutes are wasted trying to explain to these people how to get to your house. If you live anywhere but Nevada, google your new E911 address sometime. Think has no idea where S 1900 rd is. Why is it that money was spent to "upgrade" this and UPS can't find it on the map. If the money would be spent to ensure the address are added to GPS then Emergency people would only have to enter your address to gps. How can we be sure that is what the money will go to? Ugh, if you can swear on everything that is holy to you, that the money will go only to the 911 system then I will support it.

-- Posted by truthseeker67 on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 2:21 AM
I don't mind paying the fee, but I would like to make sure the fees get to where they are supposed to go and not into some politicians pocket or personal pet project. There needs to be a watch over it to make sure the funds go to the 911 centers. I also agree with the all the dispatchers to get to know their surrounding community of Vernon County. It does waste valuable time explaining where you live outside city limits.

-- Posted by BORN&RAISEDNEVADAMO on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 8:54 AM
If the fee was free, someone would still find something to complain about. I've been a 911 dispatcher for 10 years and yes it is a wonderful service, when used correctly by the public, but more times than not, it is abused by people calling for us to look up a phone number for them, to report that their cat Fluffy is missing, or to see if their child's school is in session or not because of the snow. And believe me, any fees collected will not be used to pay salaries. We can only hope they will be used as intended, to better the system and to provide needed training for the people who are there to help you in your time of need.

-- Posted by Kiss the Cook on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 12:54 PM
911 is a hard job, did it in a much larger population area, small fee for cell phones makes good sense, did have to smile just a bit out of the number of calls.....have total respect for each and every person doing the job, but you have no idea....

-- Posted by JW12 on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 4:00 PM
Kiss the cook, when you are working overnight on Thanksgiving, and they call to ask you how to make a turkey dinner, you have to laugh,,,,,been there done that, not calling, taking the call!!!

-- Posted by JW12 on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 4:04 PM
and when the aliens show up, wrapping tin foil around you head so they can't read your mind is good advice.........there is a reason I no longer work in that field....amount of crazy people out there is scary......

-- Posted by JW12 on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 4:07 PM
Let me see, $4.18 State of Mo. telecom fee, .99 county telecom fee, $2.48 CITY telecom fee. Where is this going? Even the phone company can't or won't tell you. All they say is we have the right to charge these fees. In addition to the various taxes. Regulatory cost recovery($1.25), Federal universal service charge($2.26)and Municipal gross receipt surcharge($5.94) takes a $90.00 phone bill to $107.10. $17.10 up charge! While it is only another .80 being ask for one must ask how much more money is needed to pay for fees and surcharges before enough is enough.

By the way, dispatchers are underpaid as it is. Maybe some of the people that are bent to jump in my pocket for more funds could cut just a little to help this.

I for one will cancel my plans and use a prepaid phone if these bogus charges continue.

-- Posted by cop=poc on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 7:13 PM
To those of you who would like to complain about dispatchers asking for directions, there are numerous reasons that is done. Number 1,there are numerous persons that can respond to a call. This includes volunteer fire depts and 1st responders that do not have funding for gps and that do not have all of the roads in the county memorized. That being said, ,there are also lil thugs all over the county who like to steal road signs because it's 'cool' to hang signs up in your house like Rebel or Jayhawker. Number 2, every time a road curves or bends, the road name changes. Number 3, as for not being able to find rural addresses on the internet, Google only updates their systems every 2 years. Western MO 911 Center is not at fault for Google not updating when their system when the 911 addresses were issued.

So, for those of you who would like to complain about dispatchers asking for directions, it is not necessarily the dispatchers that should go to school and learn each and every road name. They are not the ones driving to your house. And remember, the directions that emergency personnel receive from the dispatcher are the ones that you, the caller, give them!

To me, I'd feel better paying .80 a month than risking my own life!

-- Posted by rukiddingme? on Wed, Jan 12, 2011, at 10:20 PM
rukiddingme your name fits because i had that question. Are you kidding me? There are not that many roads in vernon co. learning to read a map is not that hard and gps doesn't cost that much anymore. Heck its free on my droid. I used google as an example. Mapquest, UPS Fedex the list could go on. I was not blaming WM911C for this. I'm blaming who ever dropped the ball in submitting this information to the correct people. Do I know where these companies get their updates? no I do not. To my thinking every responder should have a map of the county that has all the new addresses. There is no excuse for them not having on. No excuse. Then if they don't know how to read a map then I'd be happy to teach them. Reading a map does not require a college degree. I'm sorry, someone close to me almost died because the responder couldn't find their house. I should state that their house number is out by the road in number 1 foot high. I'm just saying learn to read a map.

-- Posted by truthseeker67 on Thu, Jan 13, 2011, at 2:28 AM
First, I am not opposed to paying .80 per phone but some tell us to do our research and added the link. I did a cursory review of the website and didn't spend a lot of time there but I didn't see:

(1) any estimate of how many phones are in use on which the .80 fee would be colleted;

(2) any estimate or projection as to what type of training and the costs involved.

Training can amount to some type of video conferencing or it can amount to a trip to Aruba for a conference. I'm not in any way suggesting the Aruba trip will happen but I'm just saying . . can't we have a little more info?

.80 per month is not going to break most of us but a whole lot of small fees add up to a good sized chunk for many of us and I would like to have a little more info on this and every project that we're asked to fund.

-- Posted by justawife on Thu, Jan 13, 2011, at 10:06 AM
An .80 charge so they can call the "wrong" person and tell them that their house is on fire and it wasn't. 911 at its best! Hope they got a hold of the right person.

-- Posted by wootwoot on Sat, Jan 15, 2011, at 11:16 PM
wootwoot- The 911 Center does not control where the 911 call goes. You can blame that on the cell phone providers and their towers. Based on your comment '911 at its best!', I hope that you do not need 911 services in the future. Please remember that karma does come around. Just ask the person who was bashing the Nevada Firefighters a few weeks ago for having down time whose house caught on fire 17 days later! Bet they regrets their words now!

-- Posted by rukiddingme? on Thu, Jan 20, 2011, at 9:41 AM

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