Video: Proposed Legislation Would Transfer Cell Phone Fees to E-911 Services

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JACKSON and TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — Keeping up with changes in technology with no increased costs to taxpayers is a challenge for all E 911 emergency phone centers. Now, a proposed bill in the Mississippi Senate would redistribute funds from the cell phone companies, back to 911 systems throughout the state.

We are inside the communications center for all 911 calls throughout Lee County. It is a huge, and costly undertaking to keep all of this equipment up to date, and there may be help on the way, from lawmakers in Jackson.

Calls for police, fire or EMS in Lee County are answered at the 9 1 1 operations center in Saltillo.

Trained dispatchers answers calls and send help in a matter of minutes, but the seven year-old computers presents a number of problems.

“Our 911 phone system is obsolete.”

Lee County E-911 Director Paul Harkins says equipment upgrades are necessary and expensive.

However, Harkins could find some help from lawmakers. Senate Bill 2577 would take a dollar surcharge already on cell phone bills, that now goes to cell phone companies, and divert the funds to counties to upgrade and maintain 9 1 1 centers, also known as Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP.

Harkins says the money initially helped cell phone companies pay for equipment and technology, allowing cell phone users to call 9 1 1.

“Seventy cents out of that one dollar comes back to the 911 centers, and thirty percent goes into a fund for cost recovery for the cellular providers. Which was important in the beginning because the infrastructure and maintenance of those systems were very costly initially.”

Now, Harkins believes cell phone companies have the technology in place, and the money could be better used at the local level.

“Over ninety percent of our 911 call volume is from wireless callers, so location technology is important, determining whether one incident is the same as another incident, when they are close in geographical areas.”

Harkins says he will go to a hearing about the proposed legislation in Jackson on Wednesday.

“If they believe in 911 and they want a good 911 system, in their local communities, they need to contact their senators and representatives, let them know we need that money coming back to the local agencies.”

We reached out to several cellular companies for comment. None have responded so far.