JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As Missouri’s elected officials turn their attention from elections to governing, several smaller issues await debate in Jefferson City.
Today, 70% of emergency calls come form cell phones. However, in states like Missouri, emergency dispatchers do not have the technology to locate these callers.
These challenges continue to create problems for emergency responders in the state. In April of 2013, a fire started in a mobile home in the Jadwin community. Two women died in the fire. According to Salem News, the local fire chief stated that outdated 911 deserved part of the blame.
A report by KSMU Radio found that 911 calls have nearly doubled in Greene County over the last ten years.
In October, rescue workers were delayed in finding the body of a man who fell from a bluff in Boone County. When Randall Fennewald called 911, he told dispatchers he had fallen and hit his head. GPS from his phone tracked him to a location ten miles away from where they accident actually occurred.
Legislation filed in 2013 by Rep. Jeanie Lauer would have helped address some of these issues. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also considering new regulations that would help dispatchers pinpoint the location of calls to 911.
In January, Missouri lawmakers will likely reconsider this issue and several other topics affecting Missourians’ everyday lives.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
