Governor’s Column - April 13, 2007
by Governor Matt Blunt


Expanding 9-1-1 Service Centers


When an emergency occurs 9-1-1 is the link between first responders and the communities they serve. Ask any grade school child the magic number to call in an emergency and they will quickly recite "9-1-1". But is help really on its way when you call 9-1-1 in the state of Missouri? The startling answer is if you are calling by cellular phone: may be no. A recent Homeland Security funded engineering study concluded most Missouri 9-1-1 systems are outdated and even non-existent in 21 Missouri counties.

Historically, the issue of 9-1-1 has been left to local and county jurisdictions to fend for themselves leaving Missouri the only state in the nation to not address the needs of wireless 9-1-1 on a statewide basis.

I believe we can do better, and so I have called for a special legislative committee to investigate this critical issue, hold hearings around the state, and make recommendations for changes to better protect Missourians safety.

The number of cellular phones in Missouri has exceeded the traditional landline phones. With few exceptions, most 9-1-1 service centers in Missouri are funded only for hardwire services but have taken on the extra responsibility of wireless 9-1-1 callers. Most Missouri 9-1-1 service centers do not have the ability to pinpoint a caller's location from a cellular phone.

To secure the safety and security of all Missourians and the vital tourist industry with our thousands of annual visitors, I am requesting the legislative committee to conduct a comprehensive study of 9-1-1 issues to include:

Since 1967, the federal government has recommended that police departments have a single number, and that single number be used nationwide. Today 9-1-1 is synonymous with the expectation that emergency assistance is no more than a phone call away. Missourians would benefit from an emergency network they can depend on anywhere in the state and the peace of mind that help truly is on the way.