Cape Girardeau County 911 service can't tell location from mobile devices

When most callers dial 911, they expect their location will be immediately identified whether they're at home, on vacation or on the road.

But public safety officials say that's not always the case.

Of Missouri's 114 counties, 36 are unable to locate a caller who contacts 911 from a mobile device. While the technology is available to determine the exact longitude and latitude of the caller at the time they dial for help, lack of funding leaves many counties stuck in the past.

Cape Girardeau County has three public safety answering points that field 911 calls. Each is equipped with enhanced 911, which transmits the caller's telephone number and address, if they're dialing from a landline. None of that information is available for a call from a cellphone.

"In the '90s, we got enhanced 911 [in Cape Girardeau County], so if a child or someone who didn't know the address dialed, we would still be able to help," said Mark Hasheider, assistant chief of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. "For calls from cellphones, we're going back to the technology we had in the '70s. We don't know the location, number, any of that. You have to be able to verbalize it."

A phone call from a landline will show the caller’s location on a map of Cape Girardeau on the CAD, computer aided dispatch, screen at the 911 call center. (Laura Simon)

He would like to see the county upgrade to Phase 1 technology, which would transmit the number of a wireless caller and in what sector the call originated, based on the cell tower that picked up the phone's signal. Phase 2 technology provides the latitude and longitude of the caller at the time the call was made.

Recently, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T voluntarily committed to providing emergency 911 texting services to any local government that has the technology to use it. Vermont was the first to offer the service statewide. Hasheider said it's only a matter of time before technology is available to send photos and video, too.

These advances will continue to set Cape Girardeau County back, he said, until it can find a way to bolster funding for the service. It's currently funded by a monthly fee on basic landline services.

State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, recently sponsored a bill that would have authorized counties, with voter approval, to assess a monthly fee on wireless phones that would not exceed $1.50. The measure, which stalled in committee, was identical to a House bill that fell short of a final reading in the Senate.

Prepaid wireless devices would not be subject to the fee because the measure would impose a statewide prepaid wireless surcharge of 2 percent, collected at the time of purchase. The funds would go to a 911 service trust fund, which would provide up to $1 million for poison control.

Glenda Zook, communicator in the 911 call center in Cape Girardeau, fields a phone call, Friday, May 30, 2014. (Laura Simon)

The legislation also called for more organization and oversight and would have created a board to oversee 911 operations across the state.

Landlines are becoming "dinosaurs," the senator said, and as more and more people go wireless, counties across the state feel the pinch.

"I hate to say it, but Missouri is at the bottom of the entire nation as far as its 911 service capabilities," he said.

Wallingford said it's one of his top public safety concerns, especially since 911 calls are on the rise. In Missouri, three local exchange carriers -- which route 911 calls to the public safety answering points -- fielded more than 4 million calls last year.

Hasheider also said 911 calls in the county are increasing dramatically.

As a communications manager, Cheryl Stoffregen said she's really noticed the shift in the number of wireless calls coming in at the Cape Girardeau answering point on North Sprigg Street.

"We're receiving as many wireless calls now as what we were receiving in total calls five years ago," she said.

The growing number of calls that cannot be located have created problems for emergency personnel, she added. It's not uncommon to get a call from someone involved in an automobile accident who doesn't know where they are. If dispatchers receive a call soon after that seems to refer to the same accident, Stoffregen said they try to get a location or better details from the second caller.

On one occasion, two callers reported the same accident but gave conflicting locations. Unable to verify which was correct, Stoffregen said emergency crews were dispatched to both locations.

"We've got to the point where we tell callers now to look for anything that can help identify where you are," she said. "If you're in a home, look for mail or go outside and look at the mailbox."

Not having the technology to locate callers in the event of an emergency is frustrating, Hasheider said, and a scary thought when lives are at stake.

"Historically, this service could have potentially saved lives and it will save lives in the future," he said.

Hasheider said it's difficult to determine exactly how much funding would be needed to upgrade the county to Phase 1, as it depends on the number of cell towers in the area and the population each cell tower serves. The cost would be "in the thousands" and far more than the county's 911 budget allows, he said

The requested expenditures for Cape Girardeau County's 911 services in 2014 was $47,198. It's expenditures last year equaled about $46,741.

"We're able to cover our recurring costs. Without additional funding, we wouldn't be able to expand services," Hasheider said.

With local lawmakers such as Wallingford taking up the cause in Jefferson City, Missouri, Hasheider said he's hopeful a bill could be passed next year. Wallingford is also optimistic.

"I'm going to pre-file the bill Dec. 1 and get a jump start on it," he said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

1975 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.