Emergency officials: Missouri lagging behind surrounding states in enhanced 911 coverage

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Missouri emergency communications officials say the state's enhanced 911 coverage lags behind those of surrounding states.

Rep. Mark Bruns, R-Jefferson City, heads a special committee that held hearings on the issue around the state this summer.

"We heard over and over again horror stories from dispatchers," Bruns said.

Once case in Johnson County was particularly haunting, he said.

"The lady was being beaten, and all she could say was, 'Help me, he's going to kill me,' and the cell phone went dead," Bruns said. "To this day they don't know where it came from."

Missouri officials say their state is the only one that lacks a statewide funding source for enhanced 911, commonly known as E-911. Only 21 of Missouri's 114 counties have finished installing the system. Officials in the counties that haven't say they lack money to do so.

All the counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area have the E-911 capability.

The system, according to the Federal Communications Commission's Web site, www.fcc.gov, reports the telephone number and location of a land-line or mobile phone which is being used to make a 911 call.

In Kansas, 71 of the 105 counties have the capability since a 50-cent monthly cell phone fee went into effect July 1, 2004.

Bruns said several Missouri counties have used a sales tax option to pay for their E-911 systems.

Randy Griffis, the E-911 coordinator for Pettis County said his county will have the capability soon because of a sales tax that voters there approved. The system will be fully operating within the next 30 to 60 days, he said.

Bruns said Gov. Matt Blunt and legislative leaders are calling on his committee to make a recommendation by Dec. 1.

"The governor is very concerned about the problem, and we've been communicating on a regular basis," Bruns said. "Of course, I don't have an easy solution, and I haven't heard one from his office either."

Missouri needs to find $40 million for one year and $10 million per year after that, Bruns said. The state could impose a tariff on cell phones legislatively next year without violating the Hancock Amendment, which limits the amount of revenue to the state, he said.

"One way or another we're going to have to get to that point, whether we do it legislatively or put it back on a statewide ballot," Bruns said.

Missouri voters have twice rejected such a fee -- in 1999 and again in 2002.

Lawmakers in Kansas approved a 50-cent monthly fee on wireless phone bills so that rural counties could afford E-911 systems.

Former Rep. Carl Krehbeil, a Moundridge Republican who led the effort in the Kansas House, said it was the most important accomplishment during his years in office.

"This is a public safety issue," he said. "It has undoubtedly saved lives in our state."