911 directors organize, stress need for tax on wireless services

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
By Mike McCoy Statesman Staff Writer

An organizational meeting of directors and supervisors from 81 of the 911 centers across the state met in Jefferson City on Oct. 15 to discuss the decline in 911 services revenue. The result was the creation of the Missouri 911 Association and an executive board was elected. The goal of the association is to "organize an effort to get a minimal fee for 911 service from wireless and VIP customers," according to a news release.

Michael Arnold, 911 Services in Miller County, presented statistics showing a significant decrease in funding every year for the past five years for 911 services.

"If something does not change or a new method of funding is put in place, we don't know how we could continue to operate," Arnold stated. "Something has to be done now."

Arnold cited statistics showing that the majority of 911 calls are now coming from wireless phones, and yet "Missouri is the only state in the US not collecting fees on wireless customers for 911 service."

Arnold said, "Miller County is only one of the many 911 centers across the state in a crisis situation with funding for landlines decreasing as wireless customers increase."

Currently 911 services are funded through a tax on landline users.

Arnold went on to say that there are still counties in Missouri that do not have 911 service and "even more counties are without Phase II, which means when you call 911 from your cell phone the 911 dispatcher does not have the technology to locate you."

"The fact is, 911 in Missouri is hit and miss. If you're traveling through Missouri and have a crisis situation you may or may not get a well trained 911 dispatcher with up-to-date technology," Arnold said.

Paul Anderson, manager of East Central Dispatch, pointed out that past efforts to get legislation passed to increase 911 revenues have failed.

"We don't want someone to lose their life before lawmakers recognize there is a real problem with 911 services in Missouri," Anderson stated.

Association members were in agreement that a tax on wireless customers would "create funding for updated technology and training, and secure the future of 911 in Missouri with next generation technology coming to the forefront," it was stated in the news release.

Lisa Schlottach, operations manager of Gasconade County E-911, presented the group with a plan to organize 911 directors across the state, create committees and write legislation to be presented to lawmakers. Schlottach said the plan needed to involve the Missouri Chapters of the Association of Public Communications Officials (APCO), the National Emergency Numbering Association and the Department of Public Safety. She also called for meeting with wireless carriers to discuss the legislation before being presented to legislators.

Comments

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everyone needs a tax. More,more,more. How much is enough? Isn't there trillions of tax dollars already floating around out there?

911 services are necessary. but enough with the taxes on everything and for anything.

-- Posted by bobby wayne on Wed, Oct 28, 2009, at 7:30 PM

thats right, enough is enough! quit asking!

-- Posted by downboy on Wed, Oct 28, 2009, at 9:41 PM

Noticed we got a new police Tahoe, new rec building, school gym, etc...which is great and all, but believe it or not, the purse is not unlimited. Tax, tax, tax, that is the answer.

-- Posted by mobrigade on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, at 7:55 AM

NO more Taxes, enough already, how many new buildings do we need?????

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, at 9:06 AM

I can see the problem. Get rid of the committiees with meals, don't pay any mileage, cut pay on the people working in the 911 area and only tax people that want the service on their cell phones. Come on people, Just because we have a president in the country that doesn't know how to run the government shouldn't mean that you should be the same. Grow up, learn how to make a company work without costing everyone. Other wise get out and let someone manage the system. Looking at the names of the local board menbers tells you why we're in the hole.

-- Posted by moscavenger on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, at 7:19 PM

I HATE LIBERALS AND THEIR TAXES!!! Funny thing though, they'd never have become millionaires if they'd been taxed like they want us to be taxed. Leave me alone...I don't want to live on the "Government Plantation".

-- Posted by Jim Morrison on Sat, Oct 31, 2009, at 1:56 AM

As best I remember, didn't a tax increase help defeat the first Bush president.??

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Sat, Oct 31, 2009, at 1:45 PM