Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area Leaders Discuss 9-1-1 System

Area governmental leaders gathered Monday, March 15, to discuss the future of a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system in Nevada County.

Dwight Williams, with Southwestern Bell Telephone, explained the procedure for getting 9-1-1 service.

The first step, he said, is a feasibility study to see how much money would be generated by a 12 percent increase on phone bills. This, he added, has been done.

For GTE customers, Williams said, the increase will be $1.83 per month, while the fee hike for SWB customers will be $1.46. This will generate about $5,500 per month in 9-1-1 revenue.

The cost of operating the system, he said, will run about $3,000 a month. The money generated from phone bills will be enough to cover the expenses.

The 9-1-1 equipment will be housed at the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and operated by NCSO dispatchers, who will be trained in its operation.

But, these people will not be allowed to give medical advice over the phone as has been shown in television programs such as "Rescue 911." In cases of medical emergencies, the calls will be transferred to the Nevada County Ambulance Service.

The issue will be brought before the Nevada County Quorum Court for discussion. If this body passes a resolution in support of 9-1-1, a special election will be called to allow the public to vote on the measure.

Williams said there has not been a case of 9-1-1 failing to be passed by the people in Arkansas since 9-1-1 came into existence.

Should the service be approved by voters, the next step in the process will be to map all roads in the county and assign them new 9-1-1 addresses.

This, Williams said, will be the last new addresses county residents get. The addressing will be done using a machine which ticks off in tenths of a mile. For every tenth of a mile there will be an address, whether a structure is there or not. Then, should a house be built at this location, the address will already be in place.

The addressing also makes it easier for emergency crews to respond more promptly, as they are more logically set up than the current method.

When a 9-1-1 call comes in to the NCSO, he said, the phone number, name of the person owning the phone and address will be displayed on the computer screen.

It will also show which fire district the caller is in, as well as the nearest ambulance service.

However, county residents shouldn't get in a hurry to begin calling 9-1-1. Williams said once the issue begins, it takes an average of three years until it is fully operational.