SCOTT CITY MOVING AHEAD WITH 911 SYSTEM; NOVEMBER VOTE IS PLANNED

SCOTT CITY -- Voters in Scott City, Kelso and Commerce may decide in November if they want to fund a 911 emergency system in their cities.

Officials from Scott City and Commerce discussed the possibility Wednesday with representatives from Southwestern Bell. As a result of the meeting, a committee will be formed to determine what type of system the cities need and how much it will cost.

And a massive campaign to educate voters about the system will begin within weeks, said Scott City Mayor Shirley Young, who will serve on the committee.

The three towns are served by the 264 telephone prefix. Charles Bonney, marketing manager of the 911 system for Southwestern Bell, explained it would cost less to implement the system in all three towns at the same time, rather than in just one of the towns.

Bonney explained that legislation passed in Missouri two years ago allowed for the system to be funded through a surcharge of up to 15 percent to be assessed telephone customers. Prior to that legislation, only a 2 percent surcharge could be levied, he said, making it difficult for cities to pay for such a system.

He said in most instances, smaller towns can't fund the system through their city budgets. The surcharge must be approved by voters, he said.

"Right now, 80 percent of the Missouri population has 911," Bonney said. "But only 13 percent of the land area has it. The big cities have it and it isn't anywhere else."

If the issue is put before voters in November and approved, it would take one year to 18 months before the system would be established, he said. Bonney estimated the surcharge in the three towns would be about 15 percent of a resident's basic phone bill.

The basic phone bill does not include long-distance charges or charges for extra features like touch-tone service, he said.

Bonney said the average basic phone bill for a three-person residence in Missouri is $8. He said that for such a household, the cost for a 911 system would amount to less than $5 a year.

He said specific costs for the system in Scott City, Kelso and Commerce couldn't be set until it is determined the type of system the cities want.

Bonney said other towns in Southeast Missouri are considering adopting the 911 system. He said Southwestern Bell is currently working with officials in Perry County and Kennett on getting voter approval for such a system.

Young said that if voters in Kelso and Commerce reject the 911 system, Scott City would try to fund it with its own surcharge. She said an enhanced-911 system is what is needed.

The enhanced system automatically displays the caller's name, address and telephone number to the emergency dispatcher.

Bonney said the cost of implementing a 911 system has decreased in the past two to three years, due mostly to technological advances. He said that the system may be available nationwide in the future.

The three towns currently have separate, seven-digit emergency numbers. But Bonney said the seven-digit numbers are hard for people to remember when they're in an emergency situation.

He said a survey revealed that in a non-emergency situation, only 15 percent of people remember a seven-digit police number, and just over five percent can remember the number for fire and ambulance services.

"And that's when they're not stressed," he said. "911 is a real quick and easy way to remember who to call."