Representative Bruns and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak briefly on the current status of 911 in the State of Missouri.

When an emergency occurs, 911 is the link between first responders and the communities they serve. Ask any child the number to call in an emergency and they will quickly recite, “911”. But is help really on its way when you call 911 in the State of Missouri? The startling answer is if you are calling by wireless phone, probably not.

The reality is there is a greater than two-thirds chance that emergency responders cannot find you if you are calling 911 by cell phone in Missouri. More disturbing is the fact that a recent engineering study concluded that most Missouri 911 systems are outdated and even non-existent in 21 Missouri counties. According to the report, 77 percent of Missouri 911 centers have equipment more than six years old, cannot locate cell phone callers, and in a widespread emergency such as multiple tornadoes or a catastrophic earthquake, few 911 centers would have the ability to communicate with each other.

Years ago before wireless technology was even dreamed of, the Missouri General Assembly had the courage to implement a 75-cent fee per hardwire telephone service in Missouri to fund 911 centers. With few exceptions, most 911 centers in Missouri are funded only for hardwire services but have taken on the extra responsibility of wireless 911 callers. The problem our 911 centers now face is that the number of “wireless” phones in Missouri have exceeded and are replacing the number of hardwire phones. So while the wireless 911 demands are increasing, the hardwire 911 revenue stream is decreasing. Some of our 911 centers are on the verge of closing because of this lack of funding.

Other than the 75-cent hardwire fee, 911 funding has been left to local and county jurisdictions to fend for themselves. Missouri now has the dubious distinction of being the only state in the nation to not have a wireless-fee recovery mechanism to fund the needs of “wireless” 911 on a statewide basis.

Missouri’s 911 systems need a significant overhaul. The striking deficiencies are not only shocking, but dangerous. Missourians attempting life-saving calls from their wireless phones expecting police, firefighters and ambulances to respond may not be found depending on where they are in the State. Ours is one of the worst in the nation and actions must be taken to correct this life-threatening problem.

It is clear that only decisive action and leadership by the State of Missouri will fix this problem. Leaving the problem for local jurisdictions will not work. A few localities have passed local taxes or fees and have good systems, 21 Missouri counties cannot afford any 911 systems on their own, and most fall somewhere in between. Further compounding the problem is that the average Missourian has no idea of how dangerous the current situation is in the State of Missouri as evidenced by the fact that the issue of funding wireless 911 has been defeated twice by ballot election. So often the warnings of public safety officials go unheeded until a catastrophe occurs and then the finger-pointing and blame-game gets played out in the media. I pray that we don’t have to have a catastrophe occur before we have the courage to start fixing this situation.

For all of the above reasons, I strongly encourage you to take these hearings on the road throughout the State of Missouri. Doing so will accomplish your hearing first-hand from the many local and county public safety professionals I hear from on a daily basis as to how dire things are. Just last week, the 9 Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committees in Missouri were unanimous in ranking 911 as the state’s most important Homeland Security issue. At the same time, the US Department of Homeland Security adjudged that our 911 system is in such bad shape that spending our limited federal grant on it would be but a drop in the bucket and that the State of Missouri should find the appropriate funding mechanism to fix it. Conducting hearings around the state will help to inform Missourians about the condition of 911 statewide and help to reinforce the needed action by the General Assembly.

At the strategic level I would suggest that this committee consider the following issues:

1. Review the current numerous disparate statutes on the books concerning 911 and compare them with the recommended language developed by the 911 Oversight Committee.
2. Review the recommendations contained within the engineering study with regards to needed technology.
3. Consider the funding needs for establishing and modernizing 911 on a statewide basis. Any state funding mechanism should come with the requirement of consolidation of systems for efficiency and effectiveness.

Finally, I would like to thank Governor Blunt for his support on this issue and for his asking the help of the General Assembly in researching the problem and offering solutions. I also thank Speaker Jetton for convening this bipartisan committee of Representatives, and you, many of whom have been career public safety officials and who bring vast amounts of experience to this issue, for serving on this committee.

As Director of the Department of Public Safety and Chairman of the State 911 Oversight Committee, I pledge any and all support of these two organizations to help your committee in its due diligence.

I would now gladly entertain any questions the committee might have of me.