LINN — Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman told the 911 Advisory Council Wednesday, Nov. 4, that hundreds of spam calls have disrupted dispatch operations, prompting him to file a complaint with the FBI.

Hoffman estimated the center had received well over 400 spam calls, including calls to both administrative lines and 911. Dispatcher Cody Hoelscher said the highest daily total was 76.

Dispatchers began tracking the calls after the volume increased. Hoffman said the problem also affected other counties.

The administrative lines cannot simply be ignored because residents use them to request help, and emergency calls can reach those lines as well. “911 calls roll over to admin line, so you have to answer them,” said dispatcher Savanah Atkisson.

Hoffman said he submitted a detailed report through an FBI reporting site because the calls were disrupting public safety. He did not know what the FBI would be able to do about the problem.

• Hoffman reported that testing for the county’s Next Generation 911 (NG911) transition had finally passed after approximately 60 hours of testing. The change had originally been scheduled to go live Sept. 21.

Later in the meeting, he said the center was awaiting finalization of testing before proceeding with the transition. He described the project as nearly two months behind schedule and said the delays were unrelated to the county’s work.

Hoffman said AT&T had notified the center that copper telephone lines in Linn would be shut off Nov. 15.

• A $39,675 GIS grant will help clean up the county’s mapping and address data, Hoffman said.

The work involves checking more detailed information than simply placing a location on a map. Address records need street numbers, names, types, city and state information, ZIP codes, and other data. “GIS has changed so much in the last two years that we did not realize what the new intention with GIS was,” Hoffman later said. “It not only identifies ground locations, but with all the new data fields loaded, it can find a room on the 9th floor of a 10 story building.”

Hoffman said the process can identify addresses that are out of sequence or incorrectly located. One address issued earlier in the summer was off by 500 numbers, equivalent to a mile under the county’s numbering system. He spoke with the property owner about correcting it while the house was still new.

• The center was also preparing to release an ArcGIS map update. Hoffman encouraged emergency responders who need login information to contact him.

• Following the closure of a section of CR 736, the remaining portions will be designated east and west. Hoffman said he discussed the designation with the property owner.

• Hoffman also reported that road signs had been stolen along the stretch from the Gasconade River bridge to Belle, except at River Crossing, where an ambulance regularly sits.

• Atkisson said the center was preparing for an update to its ProQA medical dispatch protocols. Updates are issued twice yearly, in April and October.

The medical director had signed the authorization, and the emergency medical dispatch quality assurance team was briefed Oct. 23. Dispatcher training will precede implementation, which is planned no later than Nov. 30.

• Atkisson also reported approval of a highway safety grant in partnership with Osage Ambulance District. The center was waiting for the funding, which was expected before year’s end. Hoffman said the planned purchases include dispatch protocols for fire and law enforcement, and Atkisson said an analytics program was also included.

• Hoffman said staff had completed additional training related to the computer-aided dispatch and records management systems. Medical dispatch evaluations were continuing.

• Hoffman and Butler also discussed a recent response in which what3words helped locate someone who had fallen from a deer stand in a field. Hoffman said dispatch can send responders a location link they can open on a map.

Hoffman has been promoting what3words through Facebook and encourages everyone to get the app to give their location in an emergency when they are not at an established address.

• In equipment updates, Hoffman reported purchasing three dispatch chairs and nine battery backups, with three backups for each console.

• The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2027.