A county commissioner wants to explore more options to develop an emergency backup plan for the 911 system.
Commissioner David Lee suggested Chelsie Angleton, 911 director, look at alternatives to a proposal she’s working on that would set up a backup system in the event the dispatch center in Iola was wiped out by a disaster such as a tornado or flood.
If the Iola communications center were heavily damaged, dispatchers could move to a temporary location. She proposed setting up a backup station in the basement of Humboldt’s City Hall, which could allow dispatchers to operate there during the emergency.
Lee said he’d been researching options and asked about the potential of using a statewide mobile 911 center, currently under development.
Angleton said it’s possible the mobile system may not be available during a widespread emergency situation, as there may be other areas with greater need.
Lee suggested Angleton look at a new, county-owned building recently built at the new communications tower south of the landfill near LaHarpe. That building could easily be converted to an emergency backup area, and wouldn’t need construction like the Humboldt site does.
Angleton said she would visit the building and see if it might work.
Lee also questioned if a backup station was even necessary. Currently, Allen County relies on neighboring dispatch centers to take calls when the system goes down. Anderson County is the first backup, with other counties on the list after that.
His research had shown very few counties operate their own backup center.
Again, Angleton noted, during a widespread emergency those counties will face their own issues.
ANGLETON HAS been trying to get cost estimates to set up the backup system, which would include moving a couple of walls. Initially, she and commissioners hoped to pay for the project using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
But as other projects have taken priority, the county has spent most of the money. Commissioners asked Angleton for an updated cost estimate. They initially set aside $28,801 for the backup system.
But Angleton’s revised estimates have come in at $47,395 — and that’s without electrical and construction estimates. It also would require $36,000 per year to maintain the system.
“I think before we go down this path, we need to look at options,” Lee told her.
IN OTHER NEWS, commissioners:
• Agreed to repair a portable trash pump at the landfill, which needs a new engine. It will cost about $14,383 to repair the pump, or the county could purchase a used one for $45,550 or a new one for $74,400. Commissioners agreed with a recommendation from Mitch Garner, Public Works director, for the repair.
