VOTE ON 911 IN SCOTT CITY LIKELY THIS FALL

SCOTT CITY -- Voters in Scott City, Commerce and Kelso will join those in Cape Girardeau County in November when they are asked to approved the installation of an enhanced 911 emergency system for the three towns.

Les Crump, chief of fire and rescue in Scott City, said a committee of officials from each of the three towns has been meeting to plan the proposed system. The three towns are served by the 264 telephone exchange.

The Scott City Council will be asked to endorse the plan Sept. 3.

"I think the fact that Cape County is going for it at the same time will be beneficial," Crump said. "Hopefully, it will get people out to vote."

The Cape Girardeau City Council endorsed an enhanced 911 system for the county in July. The system is expected to cost $950,000 initially and more than $70,000 in annual maintenance and operations costs.

Costs for the Scott City, Commerce and Kelso system have not been finalized, and likely won't be until the measure gains voter approval. It must first be decided which towns will participate in the system, Crump said.

"It's up to voters in each city whether or not they want 911," he said. "If Kelso or Commerce votes it down, and Scott City approves it, we'll still get it in Scott City."

The enhanced system automatically displays the caller's address to the dispatcher, Crump said. The call also cannot be disconnected by the caller once it is placed, he said. Only the dispatcher can disconnect the call.

"It would be a big plus, not just for the fire department, but for the ambulance and police department as well," he said.

If voters in the three towns approve the measure, residents would pay a monthly charge equal to about 5 percent of their basic phone bill. Basic charges do not include charges for long-distance calls.

If voters approve the issue in a general election Nov. 5, the system would likely be operational by spring of 1993.

Crump said officials in Scott City have been "talking about 911 since the early 1980s.

"The costs then were just too high. Now that we've installed better phone equipment, the cost is more affordable. It would have cost us more years ago."

Crump said if all three Scott County towns install the system, all emergency calls will likely be handled through the Scott City rescue squad, which would then alert the appropriate agencies. He said parts of the three towns are served by the New Hamburg-Benton-Commerce fire protection district, and calls could be referred to them.

If the three towns split their vote, it would probably be necessary to install the system for the entire exchange, but block out those areas not paying for the service, Crump said.

The towns will begin to promote the system soon, he said.

"October is fire prevention month, so I think the 911 promotions will fit in with that," he said.