911 Authority Meets

In the regular meeting of the Jasper County Joint 911 Authority, on June 13, much information was shared by 911 Director Jennifer Smith, regarding many topics, ranging from new bylaws to new employees and upgrades to equipment at the 911 center and in the county.

In the only action taken during the meeting, new bylaws were voted in, after changes were made to the guidelines for attending meetings via phone & video calls, with no dissenting votes.

There is a new full time employee still in training, and at the time of the meeting, there was still one full time opening for another dispatcher. The current employees are in compliance with continuing education guidelines and maintaining certifications to provide their best assistance to the public in times of urgency, said Ms. Smith. In addition to the phone line and fiber upgrades that have been in progress for some time, it is a few steps closer to completion, which will be a great improvement to the county wide communications system.

In other technology updates, the Hillsboro tower has been operating off of unreliable DSL, but has now been connected via fiber optic cable via Conexon.

Historically, the costs associated with this tower (and others) were paid by the county, but will now be factored into the 911 budget. Despite the new type of connection, the tower still isn’t capable of aiding in communication and the estimated cost to make that upgrade is now quoted over $30,000, which has increased approximately $5,000 since the last quote.