911 Authority Handles Business

The Jasper County Joint 911 Authority met last Friday and handled some basic business matters, and toured the 911 facility since the new consoles are in and the radio equipment upgrade is in progress.

The 15-year old facility required upgrades to be compliant with a federal mandate for narrow-banding, and the county communications system is going all digital as soon as the radio upgrades have been completed.

The new computer/call consoles can be raised and lowered to accommodate the particular operator’s height and position. For example, since they work 12-hour shifts, sometimes the operators stand while operating the radio. With the new furniture, they can raise their desk heights, for example. A major benefit is less stress to the body, lowering the likelihood of conditions related to sitting in the same chair for 12 hours straight.

Authority members approved adopting the same holidays as the county. The 911 center is covered at all times, but the employees get some holiday pay. They also approved the audit for the year ended June 30, 2012.

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They deferred taking any action on electing officers, as the board is not complete. The 11-member board consists of Sheriff Donnie Pope and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Director Ellette Jackson, by position, as well as five members named by the county, three named by the Monticello Council, and one named by the Shady Dale Council. Some positions are vacant, and some need re-appointing or replacing.

There was some discussion of where the 911 fees collected on phones in the Newborn and Mansfield area, but in Jasper County, are paid, and 911 director Meliss Slocumb said they generally go to Newton County, but she tries to recoup as much as possible.

The group discussed benefits, and Interim County Manager Lorri Smith agreed to compare the county insurance and benefit package agaisnt that of the 911 authority and prepare a spreadsheet to show the costs.

Mrs. Slocumb informed the board she is working on updating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) handbook and the authoirty will have to sign off on them later in the year.

Mrs. Slocumb said the new coroner, Michelle Haddock, has requested office space at the center, and said she would accommodate her, if the board had no problem with it, which no one did.

The authority meets quarterly, so the next meeting will be in April.