OSAGE COUNTY — It is now possible to text — not just call — 911 in Osage County. Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman announced the new local capability to the Osage County Advisory Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 8. “We can get you help pretty quick,” said Hoffman. “It’s a really good feature.”

Hoffman has been working on adding this to the county’s Emergency Operation Center’s (EOC) arsenal for a few years. It gives someone reporting an emergency another, perhaps necessary, option geared perfectly for a person who may be deaf or have a speech impairment. Another example is someone who must remain quiet to stay safe while enduring an emergency. Abduction, home invasion, domestic violence, or human trafficking can produce such difficulties. Encounters with someone who is suicidal or otherwise agitated are other scenarios. Simply an overwhelming presence of peer pressure may also necessitate silence.

“If you’re unable to speak, you can text,” said Hoffman. “We are live.”

“That is a nice feature,” said Osage Ambulance District (OAD) Administrator Josh Krull.

To use it, text as usual. Instead of a standard 10-digit number, simply enter 911. The message should include, if possible, an address and the type of emergency. However, Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham believes cell phone tracking can get help to within 300 feet of an individual who is unable to define the location. That kind of tracking is not yet as accurate as locating a regular cell phone call, but Krull confirmed, “the ping is accurate to within 300 feet.”

Text senders should be simple and brief as possible. Don’t use abbreviations, emojis, or slang. Don’t send pictures. As always, avoid texting while driving. It is as illegal to text as it is to call 911 with a false report. If an accidental text is sent to 911, follow up as soon as possible. Inform dispatchers there is no emergency.

The user must have a wireless phone with texting capability. Usual charges and the 160-character limit apply. There is currently no language translation service available.

The installation of a new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is underway. Provided by SOMA Global of Tampa, Fla., it exceeds the former by interfacing with other agencies and providing services otherwise purchased separately. It eliminates, for instance, the need to buy or update another mapping system. OAD and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office are already on board to work with it.

“We’re excited about SOMA,” said Bonham. “We understand there will be a transition, [but] I think it’s going to be a great benefit in the long run.”

Meetings between county stakeholders and representatives of SOMA Global began on Feb. 9.

“We’re all excited,” Hoffman affirmed, adding the aging CAD system being replaced was installed in 2001. “It’s a lot easier to use.”

Installation is scheduled to take 30 days, and training is anticipated to take another 15 days before it’s all usable.

“We’re looking at 45 days, max, to have it up and running,” Osage County Geographic Information System (GIS) Coordinator Richard Jones explained. “I have high hopes it will outperform anything we’ve ever had.”

Jones keeps maps current and usable for dispatched first responders.

Hoffman likes Jones’ work. “He’s doing a great job,” he said.

Jones has been on the job less than a year, although he served as an assistant for a while before taking over. “I’m new to the GIS position,” said Jones, “but I’m learning as fast as possible.”

He now occupies the only position in the EOC without a backup. There’s one existing opening for a full-time telecommunicator. Hoffman targets someone who can serve as Jones’ assistant/backup.

Exercises with simulations have everyone believing the new CAD will be user-friendly. Hoffman likes saving $13,000 in either updating the current map software or buying a new program, included with the new SOMA Global CAD.

“We don’t need redundant software,” Jones stated. “In real-time, we can have accurate data.”

This eliminates the need for multiple radio transitions or phone calls. An example of this dynamic in action would be an impassable low-water crossing in a rain storm. Rerouting can be actuated immediately.

“My only concern is the transition,” added Hoffman.

“I’ve never seen a perfect transition yet,” countered Bonham. “You always have problems, but it’s how you fix the problems.”

Bonham is as enthusiastic as the others about the upgrade. He credited Krull with helping a lot with the negotiations. SOMA Global reduced their price by several thousand dollars by the time a deal was struck.

“We’re excited and appreciate [what it can do],” Krull concluded.

Another significant system in the technology-intensive EOC is telephones. Telecommunicators in 911 centers use much more complicated phone technology than does the average home. Versatility and backups in case of power or other outages are crucial for saving lives. In recent years, Hoffman has been alarmed at the lack of customer service from Osage County’s current provider, Solacom, of Downer’s Grove, Ill. The system was due, under contract, for a major “refresh” operation a couple of years ago. The money was budgeted, but the work was never done. Worse, the company was not responding to Hoffman’s calls.

In response, he went shopping for a new system, hoping to get better customer service in the process. This time last year, the county went so far as to sign a purchase contract with one of Solacom’s competitors. That deal, though, came apart almost immediately. It became apparent some selling points had been overstated. As that situation deteriorated, the seller also demanded another $25,000.

At that time, Solacom — bought out by Comtech Telecommunications Corp. of Huntington, N.Y. — sprang back into the picture, trying to save their account. New ownership seems to have identified the customer service deficiency, and they’re conscientious about fixing it. Hoffman and Jones have both been impressed by the efforts coming from the new management.

“They realize the errors they caused,” said Hoffman. “Yesterday, I signed the Solacom contract to redo the system.”

He made his decision while keeping the Osage County Commission completely up to date, step by step, as he went through the process. It helped everyone involved in the work that Solacom lowered the price. The cost for the updates came down from $152,000 to $108,000. 

However, Solacom’s restored interest in providing service is the big selling point. “The new guy has come by twice from Oklahoma,” noted Hoffman, “so they’re trying real hard to get our business back.”

Other factors benefit this decision. Comtech is positioning Solacom to be a leader in the coming New Generation (NG) 911 dispatching. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is working toward consolidating current local 911 center structures like that in Osage County. There’s a growing vision of NG 911 joining smaller units into regional hubs. It’s possible, by staying with Solacom, that Osage County could become one of those virtual hubs. It would then be eligible for SEMA funding when the advancement takes place.

In addition, Solacom is now using cloud-based backup. Telecommunicators can sign in to their stations through the cloud during an outage.

“If something happens here, we can go [anywhere we can log in] and be up and running,” said Hoffman. “We’re really covered.”

The default is always to revert to two servers located in the county’s EOC, but backup is enhanced and more advanced nonetheless. For safety’s sake, Hoffman is looking to relocate his “B” server to the new Osage County Health Department (OCHD) building. That would enhance the Solacom backup strategy even further. “It’s never good to have all your eggs in one basket,” he explained.

Committee members were impressed and appreciated Hoffman’s determination to upgrade the phone system.

“You just stayed right on top of that,” said member-at-large Steve Smyth, Chamois. “From my perspective, the fact you stayed on top of it was really good.”

Smyth is a professional IT specialist and was always high on Hoffman’s call list for consultation as the deals progressed.

EOC Training Coordinator Savannah Atkisson updated the committee on Priority Dispatch/ProQA statistics. Priority Dispatch Corp. of Salt Lake City, Utah, is the EOC’s telecommunication software provider. ProQA is the Priority Dispatch trademarked call program and protocol now in use in Osage County. In 2022, 43.5% of all medical calls fielded by Osage County dispatchers were reviewed. Atkisson’s goal is to get that number up to 50%. “High compliance” calls, according to Priority Dispatch standards, continue to increase. “Complaint” calls are decreasing.

“We are up in compliance over the year,” said Atkisson.

She continues to seek increased compliance, more reviews, a better training schedule, more regular training updates, and a Priority Dispatch-provided electronic tablet at each work station. The company has a new series of tablets coming out. Atkisson would like to see the EOC achieve Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) accreditation from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) before the end of the year. This has been the EOC’s goal since purchasing the Priority Dispatch system in 2019. Progress toward that goal has been steady. It was slowed a little through the COVID pandemic. “It’s something we’ve been looking into and working on,” said Atkisson.

The EOC now has a skills lab that allows personnel to practice protocols away from live action. Hoffman appreciates Atkisson’s efforts. “She’s doing a great job, too,” he added.

Hoffman told the board there would be hookups for the EOC trailer at the new OCHD building. That trailer can house the 911/EMA operation should a major outage occur in the EOC.

The next meeting of the advisory board is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10.