OSAGE COUNTY — At their May 6 quarterly meeting, the Osage County 911 Advisory Committee discussed staffing, training, technology upgrades, mapping issues, and future grant opportunities.

911 Director Ron Hoffman reported the department is currently fully staffed with 11 full-time and six part-time employees. He said the department is expanding its in-house training efforts, including weekly exercises and scenario-based instruction, while also revising its internal training materials for new employees.

Hoffman said the current state telecommunicator basics course costs approximately $650 per person, and may not provide enough practical benefit to justify the expense.

Committee members also discussed ongoing issues with address updates in the county’s Central Square CAD mapping system. Hoffman said updates submitted on March 28 had still not been uploaded more than a month later, despite the company’s stated monthly update schedule. Committee member Steve Smyth raised concerns about the potential public safety impact of delays involving newly assigned addresses.

Hoffman said dispatchers can still rely on the county GIS system and other mapping tools, but acknowledged the delays create challenges for first responders trying to locate newer addresses. Osage Ambulance District EMS Chief Josh Krull said invalid or duplicate address entries have also created “dirty data” issues in the CAD system, including multiple locations associated with the same address point.

Hoffman said he plans to work directly with Central Square GIS staff and the State Data Resource Center to resolve the issue.

Colet Davis reported all staff members remain current on MULES certifications and training. She also discussed testing procedures for the county’s Safe Haven Baby Box system. Davis said she purchased a training doll, nicknamed “RUBI” for “Rapid Urgent Baby Intervention,” to conduct surprise dispatch exercises with EMS personnel. Davis said the surprise drill “scared the poop right out of everybody,” but proved successful as a realistic training exercise.

A second baby box is expected to be installed in Linn.

Hoffman reported the center handled 5,429 calls for service since the previous meeting, and noted the department recently conducted training involving the transmission of photos and videos from callers to dispatchers and then to first responders.

The committee also reviewed ongoing work to transition communications infrastructure from copper phone lines to VoIP systems. Hoffman said the project, funded for the first five years through grants, has experienced delays because of compatibility issues between providers. He said the transition is intended to improve interoperability among neighboring emergency agencies and prepare for the continued phaseout of copper-line infrastructure.

CAD administrator Savanah Atkisson updated the committee on new multi-factor authentication requirements from Central Square. Agencies have until June 30 to comply after receiving an extension.

Atkisson also said she is developing a seven-part CAD retraining program focused on practical system use, including address validation, dispatch plans, and unit tracking.

The committee discussed potential future SS4A grant applications involving Osage, Maries, and Gasconade counties, including possible regional interoperability projects. Members also discussed whether creating a nonprofit designation for the advisory council could open additional grant opportunities unavailable to county government entities.

Hoffman additionally reported the county did not receive a requested siren grant for the Linn area near the fairgrounds, though he plans to continue pursuing alternative funding sources. Hoffman said the proposed siren location would help cover a heavily populated area near the fairgrounds and apartment complexes that may not fully receive coverage from existing sirens.

During public comments, Smyth said recent tornado alerts received through the emergency notification system proved useful for residents in rural parts of the county where outdoor warning sirens may not be audible.