FRANKFORT, KY (September 26, 2018)—State legislators today received the 411 on the state’s plans to improve 911 service in Kentucky using real-time mapping of caller data and locations.
“Geo-information systems – GIS – is a critical element of innovative, 21st century emergency communications. In 911, as in so many other facets of life these days, timely and accurate mapping data is of paramount importance,” Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS) Executive Director John Holiday told the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government. “GIS as a whole must be elevated in stature if Kentucky hopes to compete on a national scale.”
Laying out KOHS’s plan to improve its statewide 911 capabilities was KOHS Deputy Executive Director and Kentucky 911 Services Board Administrator Mike Sunseri. Sunseri said moving from voice-only 911 to next-generation 911, or NG911, would improve both locator and messaging capabilities – including sending 911 messages by text rather than by voice only and allowing photos to be sent as part of a 911 call.
To help the state’s 115 911-call centers move toward NG911, Sunseri said his agency has applied for a $1.7 million four-year federal NG911 grant. With a required local match, the grant would provide nearly $2.9 million for NG911 improvements now under discussion.
“The (KENTUCKY 911 Services) Board has received great feedback from the 911 community thus far. The one common element shared by those in trenches … (is) GIS,” which Sunseri said Kentucky’s 911 stakeholders want factored into the state’s 911 plan. That plan, he said, has not been updated since it was created in 2009.
“We’ve enlisted a technical consultant to help us in that matter and (the plan will be updated) by the end of the calendar year,” said Sunseri. NG911 updates would come later for most 911 call centers around the state.
Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, asked Sunseri what the cost to create a fully GIS-based statewide 911 system would be. Sunseri said he only has enough information to respond anecdotally to that question, specifically mentioning Owensboro – which Sunseri said spends $8,000 a month to maintain their GIS data. Fleming said the statewide figure would run into millions of dollars.
“I can tell you one thing, it’s well north of probably about $10 million to do that,” said Fleming. “But … every life is important, and it might be worth it.”
Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, asked if the local matching funds for the NG911 grant are available now or not. Sunseri said there are enough Kentucky 911 Services Board administrative funds in reserve now to cover the first year or two in matching funds, should the grant be awarded.
“But we would never turn money away from the General Assembly should this august body deem it a worthy use of general fund dollars, and we will be making a formal request in some manner,” Sunseri said.
Some lawmakers wanted to discuss changes at the Kentucky 911 Services Board, formerly called the CMRS (Commercial Mobile Radio Service) Board. Comments were made about a recent four-year state audit that Sunseri said found improper accounting practices undertaken by a past board that were uncovered by the audit, requested by KOHS. The audit showed the past board improperly spent more than $250,000 “from a fund dedicated by statute to be used exclusively for 911 call center grants,” said Sunseri.
The funds were repaid from the board’s administrative fund, Sunseri told lawmakers.
Rep. Steve Riggs, D-Louisville, thanked the agency for cooperating with the state audit. He added that there should be tough “consequences” for those who improperly handled the funds.
“I just hope that there are consequences for people who did that, as opposed to just losing their job or their position, that we pursue consequences” said Riggs. “Otherwise, if we don’t – if there are no consequences other than losing your position – it will just continue to grow.”
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