Members of the Emmet County E911 Service Board Tuesday learned of a new initiative in rural states to eradicate the local public service answering points.

The local public service answering points translate to a local familiar voice at the other end of a 911 call right here in Emmet County.

Emmet County Emergency Management Coordinator/911 Coordinator Terry Reekers told the board the NG911, or New Generation 911, has been launched by the National Emergency Number Association with the hope of providing a 911 service with strategically positioned receivers taking calls from designated sections of Iowa.

Reekers said instead of each county manning its own 911 base and fielding 911 calls, NG911 would have the 911 service positioned in another remote metropolitan area receiving our calls.

"What we lose is local control, local access and the familiar face and voice taking the information at the Emmet County Law Enforcement Center. They are familiar with our people, our area and our streets and country roads," Reekers explained. "But the bottom line is that we would lose all of our funding. If we are not getting the 911 calls, we won't be getting the funding."

He told the board some states have already converted to a fully Internet-Protocol-based 911 system and it has not been a smooth transition.

Sentiment of the board mirrored that of Reekers with the thought that Emmet County has capable individuals who already know "how to take care of 911 business here at home."

The board expressed its appreciation to the voters of Emmet County who approved the E911 Surcharge increase in the November election. The surcharge will only be in effect for two years.

"We were very pleased with the vote," said outgoing board chair Roger Anderson.

Reekers noted the 22 different phone service providers in the county were notified of the surcharge approval. It is projected that the surcharge will amass an estimated $130,000 with 5,500 phone lines.

An update on the E911 upgrade was presented. At a cost of $49,500, the purchase of two new chairs, new server, a two-position work station and dispatcher console was made possible through the Iowa Surcharge Wireless Grant which was awarded locally in the fall of 2008. Reekers said plans are in the works for another grant application being filed in the next-go-around.

Ringsted Fire Chief Dan Jorgensen said the recent award of the federal firefighter grant amounts to $237,000. This amount breaks down with $225,150 from the federal level coupled with a required 5 percent local match of $11,850.

He reminded the board this grant will be providing 30 mobile radios, 30 portable radios and four VHF repeaters (Very High Frequency repeaters pick up the signal from the radio and transmit it all over the county).

Jorgensen said the grant makes it possible to provide the necessary equipment so independent departments do not have to buy handheld and mobile units. The board has one calendar year to utilize the monies.

Sheriff Mike Martens addressed the board and reported the dispatchers selected the console furniture and agreed on the layout for the control room at the LEC.

He said Reekers will have space also for his work center. Martens added that formerly wasted space will hold the work center for the jailers. "We are heading in the right direction."

In other matters, Reekers said it would be beneficial to the local E911 board to have membership in the National Emergency Number Association. The board authorized a line item on the budget for NENA training and membership.

Members took time to discuss the budget which will be discussed at length at the next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the Emergency Operations Center at the LEC.

After electing Jorgensen as the new board chair and Brent Baddeley as vice chair, Reekers and the board thanked Anderson who has served on the E911 board since 1991. He was there to see the establishment of the 911 system in the county and rode out the tough times and changes.

"This is an important thing for Emmet County," Anderson said as he returned his thanks to the board. "Make sure to keep it going."