SCOTT CITY HOPES TO PUT 911 BEFORE VOTERS IN THE FALL

SCOTT CITY -- When Randy Everett talks to school children about what do to in an emergency, he often first asks them, ~"What number do you call when you have an emergency?"

In Scott County, if they answer "911" and most of them do they're wrong.

It's something Everett, who talks to school children often about safety issues, said happens all the time.

"Just last week, I questioned a group of about 40 kids in New Hamburg who were around 12 years old," Everett said. "They all said `911,' and, of course, they were wrong."

Everett is director of the North Scott County Ambulance District that responds to emergencies in all of Scott County.

One of its ambulances is based in Scott City, where city officials recently have taken steps to become one of the first cities in the county to get an enhanced-911 system.

Though the prospect of getting the system was first discussed in 1984, city officials say that this time they're insistent on seeing it through.

"It's something we've always wanted to do," said Scott City Mayor Shirley Young. "But with the popularity of the TV series `911,' many children think we already have it, and this doesn't help if they have an emergency.

"I think the time is now that we have to go for it."

Scott County, like most Missouri counties, doesn't have the system. Not even Cape Girardeau County has a countywide system. The city of Cape Girardeau has had a 911 system for about 15 years.

In Scott County, a countywide system was considered just last year by officials in cities all over the county. But delays in getting a countywide system started has caused Scott City officials to lead the way in getting the system for the 264 telephone exchange.

Officials in Kelso and Commerce, two towns that also carry the 264 exchange, will be asked to join Scott City in their attempt get voters to approve the 911 system, Young said. But even if their neighbors reject the idea, Scott City will go ahead with it, she said.

Young said that's because some of the stumbling blocks to implementing the system, such as the lack of digital switching on city telephones, have been remedied in recent years, making it more affordable.

And by putting the matter before city voters, she said, the system can be paid for by charging each resident a small monthly fee for the service, based on their phone bills.

"Now is the time to let the voters decide," Young said. "The chamber of commerce and the city council have indicated they're behind it and it's obvious that it's going to help in getting medical assistance to people a lot faster."

Donna Burk, area manager at Southwestern Bell, said it is hoped that voters in Scott City, Kelso and Commerce will all be given the opportunity to vote on the 911 issue. Although the goal is to get a countywide system, Burk said, "there is so much interest in Scott City at this time that they really wanted to get started on this."

Everett, who is a strong advocate of the enhanced-911 system, agrees that the sooner 911 is implemented, the better.

"We support it 100 percent," said Everett, who added that he hopes to someday see the service made available in the entire county. "It's a huge benefit to anyone within the 911 system. If we have to, we'll do it city by city."

The Scott City Council is likely to decide soon to put the issue on the November ballot, Young said. If voters give their approval, the system could be operational by the spring of 1993.

The one-time, start-up fee would be about $30,000, she said. After that is paid, residents would pay a monthly charge equal to about 5 percent of their base phone bill for the service. Base charges do not include long-distance fees.

But the wait and expense will be well worth it, Everett said. The enhanced system will allow a dispatcher to immediately know the location of a call.

"We've done so many things in the emergency medical system to bring the emergency room out to the patients, and it's a huge advantage to us to know exactly where the patient is," he said.

Other information, such as pre-existing medical conditions, drug allergies, and even medical information on relatives who might be visiting people's homes can be included in the address display, Everett said.

Everett said three dispatchers who work with Scott City and the North Scott County Ambulance District have already been trained in "priority dispatching," which means they have learned to give medical instructions to people over the phone.

"They're trained to tell people over the phone how to give CPR, treat burns, shock and gunshot wounds," he said. "They know how to get the caller to calm down and how to find out exactly what services are needed."

He said plans call for training all dispatchers in priority dispatching.

Everett said the enhanced-911 system allows for a much faster response time to emergencies and virtually eliminates the possibility that wrong information about a patient's location will be given.