Garfield County's Expanded-911 system expected to be operational by deadline

ENID, Okla. (AP) _ Officials still expect to have Garfield County's expanded 911 system operational by a February deadline for spending $100,000 in grant funds. <br><br>County voters agreed to a 10

Monday, December 22nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ENID, Okla. (AP) _ Officials still expect to have Garfield County's expanded 911 system operational by a February deadline for spending $100,000 in grant funds.

County voters agreed to a 10 percent emergency line fee on their telephone bills in an October 2001 election to pay for the expanded service.

The police department presently transfers emergency calls that require the attention of other agencies.

Enid police Capt. Nathan Morris said Southwestern Bell still has to compile the county's 911 database, which will allow dispatchers to determine where an emergency call originated.

``We've been waiting on them to get done with several other counties,'' Morris said.

Local officials also haven't confirmed contact information for some local residents and businesses. Officials finished assigning emergency addresses to structures that don't have them in August.

Morris has been talking to U.S. Postal Service officials about adopting those addresses instead of route and mailbox numbers, he said.

Police communications personnel have been verifying names and telephone numbers for those homes and businesses so they can be added to the new database being created by Southwestern Bell.

Officials there are confident they can complete the process by February, when the county must have its $71,000 enhanced 911 system finished to be able to spend grant funds from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Morris said.

``They're aware of our deadlines,'' he said. ``We'll be watching that very closely.''

Morris said a new computer-aided dispatch system in place at the police department is a big step toward providing countywide dispatching.

It may take another year before police are able to assume dispatching duties for the county's other emergency agencies because of the remodeling and additional equipment required to handle that load.