ARTICLE TOOLS

E-mail story

Comments

Printer friendly version

iPod friendly version

Share This

Text Size: A A A A

Hamilton County: 911 board discusses chairs, funding, training

By: Jacqueline Koch
(Contact)

Included in this article

Members of 911 board

The Hamilton County Emergency Communications District is taking legal action against a vendor who supplied it with faulty chairs that were manufactured by a third party, an official said.

The 40 chairs, bought about two years ago for about $45,000, began having problems soon after purchase, including tilting and arms that fell off, Executive Director John Stuermer said during the 911 board’s meeting Wednesday.

The board is attempting to recover its money from Denver-based Pro/File Systems Inc., which sold the district some chairs from Kustom Fit Inc. in South Gate, Calif., but also included some clones, he said.

“We’re actively pursuing this through legal matters because there’s fraud involved,” Mr. Stuermer said.

Employees in the telecommunications center complained that the chairs, meant to withstand excessive use 24/7, did not hold up under pressure, he said. The district plans to bid out a contract for replacement chairs, Mr. Stuermer said.

Pro/File personnel did not return calls for comment Wednesday.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, board members were introduced to the district’s new logo, created in anticipation of the unification to incorporate all jurisdictions signed onto the agreement.

The circular logo, which features emblems of the county, river and the law enforcement, fire and medical fields, was submitted by a county telecommunications staff member as part of a contest to select a new design.

Mike Mahn, the district’s attorney, also announced that the state’s policy committee will hold a meeting Oct. 23 to discuss 911 funding.

Officials with many 911 jurisdictions had expressed concern about funding for increased cell phone usage as more people use mobile phones instead of land lines, Mr. Mahn said. He said he wants 911 fees for both land lines and cell phones to be $1.50 per month.

“All of them are facing increasingly difficult financial situations,” Mr. Mahn said. “The most compelling reason is that cell phones are dominating and taking over 911 calls.”

About 65 percent of the calls the district handles come from cell phones, Mr. Stuermer said.

Comments