Missing 911 equipment sparks dispute

A $4,900 piece of Cape Girardeau County equipment lost during an office move is at the center of a dispute between a local communications business and the county government. At issue is who is responsible for a missing computer server and whether county officials should have taken bids to replace it.

JCS Tel-link, a Cape Girardeau communications firm that frequently does business with the county for 911 equipment maintenance, issued a letter to the county commission questioning the county's bidding process.

David Hitt, the county emergency operations coordinator and the chairman of the 911 advisory board, responded with two letters to the commission, one that points out that JCS was involved in moving the now-missing equipment, the other saying that JCS has ordered other equipment for the county without approval.

Following May 6 tornadoThe controversy began May 6 in the hours following the tornado that ripped the roof off Jackson's police and fire station, where Jackson's 911 communication center -- also known as a Public Safety Answering Point -- is located.

Immediately after the tornado, emergency personnel arrived to move the PSAP equipment to the fire department's administrative building next door. All 911 equipment, regardless of where it is located, is the county's property.

The Jackson Police Department investigated, and now authorities say they don't know what happened to the missing server, a computer that allows different pieces of equipment to communicate. Hitt said in a letter to the county commission that Reg Swan -- whose wife, Kathy Swan, owns JCS -- was in charge of moving the equipment.

Reg Swan said he hauled the equipment but was not in charge. Swan said Sikeston police officers who had come to help loaded the truck, he drove the truck next door, and Jackson firefighters unloaded the equipment into the administrative building.

When the equipment was moved from the administrative building and into the repaired police department in late July or early August, it was discovered that the server was missing.

Hitt said he immediately sought a quote from St. Louis Electronics, which was hired July 24 by the 911 advisory board to evaluate the county's three PSAPs.

According to state law, county governments must advertise to receive sealed bids for any purchase of $4,500 or more. This takes four to six weeks, Hitt said.

The county also has a policy of receiving at least three quotes for any purchase of more than $150.

On Aug. 7, Hitt said, he asked the commission -- which must approve purchases of $150 or more -- to make a purchase under an emergency provision. The provision allows counties to make purchases without taking bids, which Hitt said could have pushed back the date of having the PSAP operational.

However, nothing in the Aug. 7 minutes shows the commission discussed or voted on the issue.

Commissioners Gerald Jones, Larry Bock and Joe Gambill say they remember having the conversation about the server and giving Hitt the go-ahead, but do not recall taking a vote. Administrative assistant Donna Burk said she may have mistakenly omitted the discussion and vote from the minutes.

Regardless, the 911 board proceeded with the plans to have St. Louis Electronics replace the equipment.

St. Louis Electronics and JCS are the only two regional dealers that can repair 911 equipment. The equipment can only be worked on by an authorized Motorola dealer.

No opportunity to bidReg Swan is agitated that JCS did not get an opportunity to bid on the equipment. Along with the equipment, the county also paid St. Louis Electronics for labor and software upgrades. The county ended up paying St. Louis Electronics $11,700 for the project.

Hitt said it was convenient to have St. Louis Electronics replace the equipment, because the firm was already in charge of getting the PSAP running again.

The necessity for the emergency provision has brought debate. Hitt's request to the commission was made on Aug. 7 and the Jackson PSAP was not in operation until Oct. 30. In a normal bidding process, a bid would have been accepted in mid-September, according to Hitt's estimate. As it turned out, the server didn't arrive until Oct. 10. It was installed Oct. 29.

Hitt says that at the time the emergency designation was requested, the county didn't know how long it would take to repair the building.

The ordeal prompted JCS, through lawyer Al Spradling III, to submit a letter to the commission on Nov. 25 saying that if a state statute is violated, bids should be void. Spradling said communication with the county on the issue is ongoing.

One of Hitt's letters to the commission suggests that JCS did the same thing that JCS claims the county did -- make purchases without seeking bids.

Hitt cites three pieces of equipment that were purchased without county approval, including two that were more than $4,500. Hitt said no one with the county gave approval for the purchases.

Reg Swan said he had multiple meetings with Hitt and Crump about these purchases, which were needed after lightning blew out the equipment.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635