CARTHAGE, MO.--- For the past 3 years, Jasper County Sheriff's Office employees have been running their own dispatch center as a way to save money by not paying a 911 fee.
The Emergency Services Board agreed to wave charges for the sheriff's office, so all 911 calls can be handled from the same location.
The sheriff has agreed to donate all of his office's dispatch equipment to the 911 center. To cover the extra calls, 911 administrators are using reserve funds to increase personnel.
"We're just trying to do it with the funds that we have and yeah, it's going to add stress to the employees. It's going to add stress to the budget, but we think we can do it and we think we owe it to the tax payers to at least try," says Carl Francis, Jasper County 911 Board Member.
The sheriff's office and 911 center will combine services for a 1 year trial period. They hope to start as soon as they can get equipment in place.
The Emergency Services Board agreed to wave charges for the sheriff's office, so all 911 calls can be handled from the same location.
The sheriff has agreed to donate all of his office's dispatch equipment to the 911 center. To cover the extra calls, 911 administrators are using reserve funds to increase personnel.
"We're just trying to do it with the funds that we have and yeah, it's going to add stress to the employees. It's going to add stress to the budget, but we think we can do it and we think we owe it to the tax payers to at least try," says Carl Francis, Jasper County 911 Board Member.
The sheriff's office and 911 center will combine services for a 1 year trial period. They hope to start as soon as they can get equipment in place.
