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Local News

Barry Central Dispatch 911 gives annual report to Barry County Commissioners

In 2016, Barry Dispatch 911 moved to the next generation of technology with the switch to fiber optics from copper wires and become part of the NextGen Network. 911 Director Phyllis Fuller in the annual report Tuesday, said the new system means prioritizing of calls, back up service in an outage, and the ability to transfer its operations to other service centers along with other advantages.

“Fiber is good news for us,” she said. “It has opened so many doors for us.”

 

Central Dispatch also developed and adopted a new 911Service Plan in 2016, replacing the last update in 2009. The plan contains enforcement power in a new Emergency Service Ordinance.

No person shall intentionally place a false 911 call, engage in a swatting hoax in the county, knowingly engage in call jumping, impede first responders from reaching an emergency, or fail to forward 9121 calls or texts are a few of the restrictions.

 

Fuller also listed several statewide awards earned by the “phenomenal staff that do a fantastic job.” Going forward, the center will continue to work to keep up with technology, retain telecommunicators in the high stress positions and continue its involvement with the state legislature, she said.

 

The annual report included charts of 911 calls for service by the month over 2013-2016, showing a 35 percent increase over the years, and a call for service by type for 2012-2016, with the vast majority of calls for police. A 2016 call summary showed the numbers of outbound, land line,  wireless, abandoned, text, and nonemergency calls.

 

Fuller supplied a history of the operating budget, with millage collected, budgeted amounts and actual expenditures for 2012-2016. The 911 board very is careful with its funds and has a healthy fund balance, she said.

That has allowed them to use some of the fund and not levy all of the taxpayer approved millage for several years, something she thinks will happen again this year.  In 2012 and 2014, they levied three quarters of a mill instead of a full mill, and 6/10 of one mill in 2013.

“We’re really unique. There aren’t many other departments that have that leeway,” she said.

 

 

 

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