Paducah's E911

Today’s Paducah Sun editorial is just wrong.  The decision I reached to have a city run E911 was not taken because it was politically easy or pleasing to the editorial board of the Paducah Sun.  The decision I reached was after months and months of thought, study and conversations with many of you. My mind is never very far away from my obligation to you.  I don’t work for the newspaper.  I work for you.  You elected me to do the best I can for you. I’m not particularly interested in what the paper has to say; they sell papers.  I have to think about what is best for the citizens of Paducah as a whole.  And yes, it is an awesome responsibility.

O.K. I have got it off my chest; here are my thoughts. 

There is an adage I learned from my dad early on--if you are going to take a risk there better be a reward.  The bigger the risk, then bigger the reward is paramount.  And never invert this business maximum.  Now, let’s apply this to an issue facing Paducah.

I have a problem with the Kentucky State Police proposal to be Paducah’s E911 dispatch.

First, Lt. Brent White of the KSP described our E911 as “high functioning and desirable,” while calling the KSP proposal a “barebones system.”  After nine months of study, why is the KSP still offering a bare bones system when that is not what we have?  Yes, this would make it less expensive, but at what risk?

At a city commission meeting White said that KSP’s call volume would double when KSP becomes our E911 provider; yet the number of dispatchers would only increase from four to six positions.  That math made no sense to me.  And neither did the response that KSP was a more efficient organization.

Bottom line for me is the KSP E911 dispatch proposal is a “fuzzy feel good.” We are looking at apples and oranges and expect to get the same service for less money.  I have made that E911 call at 4:30 A.M. with a major house fire.  I realize what a vital service E911 is to our community.

 Sorry, this risk reward ratio is backwards.  I’ll not support the KSP as our E911 provider.

Further, to be completely transparent, if the state does not increase the E911 funding by increasing the tax on cell phones from its current level, then I will support a tax to support our E911 own dispatch.