Owensville and 911 will cost share on a project to add radio transmission antennas to eliminate potentially dangerous communications problems.

With its current dispatching capabilities, 911 equipment has limitations when communications involving Owensville police and fire personnel are going on simultaneously. Under the current configuration, if a city police officer is talking on the radio to a dispatcher, a fireman is unable to communicate with the 911 center. If a dispatcher is talking to either of one those departments, all others on that channel are locked out.

“We need extra software,” said Lisa Schlottach, manager of the county’s 911 operations. She told city aldermen during their Nov. 24 special meeting that their volume of calls, or their “call value,” has increased 33 percent since 911 took over responsibility for Owensville police and fire dispatching in October 2007.

“We’re doing the best we can on our part so the public remains safe,” said Schlottach.

Ward 1 Alderman Sam Britton said he recently had the chance to listen to a tape recording of a 911 situation to get a feel for the problem. He agreed something needed to be done to improve safety for each department’s personnel and the public.

The mayor agreed.

“It’s been going on since July,” said Mayor Jesse Loeb. “We didn’t realize how bad it was until July. We need to spend some money and fix it now. Right now we need this fixed.”

Schlottach told the board the extra work  and dispatching load includes making reports on “run cards” for city fire. The main problem, however, is there are “too many frequencies on the transmitter. We can do it. We can keep doing it the way we’ve been doing it.”

She noted that Owensville’s ambulances and Ozark Central’s ambulance also operate on the same base.

Under the agreement, two new antennas will be installed on the water tower near the old Allied Chemical plant on the city’s west side.

“This relationship is good,” said Karen Arnold, manager of the Owensville ambulance district and a 911 board  member. “It’s been better than I thought it would be.”

The situation is a public safety issue and one that impacts safety for city emergency services personnel.

“We want to get it resolved too,” said Arnold. “The equipment is yours, we’re just borrowing it.” She called the agreement a “utilization of resources.”

Schlottach explained the issue to the city saying 911 would need to pay rental space on an available antenna tower at a cost of $1,200 annually for the two antennas they need. Or, noted Kris Bayless, the city’s emergency management director, buy the antennas and install them on a city-owned water tower and the city’s financial obligation would pay for itself within three years.

Schlottach explained that when 911 was initially buying software several years ago, the city was not interested in having 911 dispatch city police and fire services. “We didn’t buy (software) for the city then,” she said. The city owns the equipment needed for the upgrade, she noted. If the city makes the equipment available to 911, and 911 helps with the cost for upgraded software, “I feel like it is fair,” said Schlottach.

Bayless said the radio equipment was obtained by the city through a federal grant. It will be connected to the antennas and secured at the water tower.

Two bids were received for the project. The winning bid of $6,424 from Rayfield Communications, Inc., of Springfield, Mo., was nearly $4,000 less expensive than the other bid of $10,273.

The city’s portion will cost $3,827 with 911 paying $2,557. Ward 1 Alderman Brian Epstein’s motion to spend money for the upgrade was seconded by Ward 2 Alderman John Kamler and was approved on a 4-0 vote.

Mayor Jesse Loeb noted that funds for this project are coming from line items already included in the 2009-10 budget such as “supplies and materials” in the police department budget. “Money is being reallocated,” said Loeb.

The board met again on Monday for their regularly scheduled first meeting of the month. On a 4-0 vote, the board approved Ordinance No. 1005 which continues a service agreement with Ameren Services, Co., to provide electric service into Owensville on their power lines.