County 911 Test Calls delayed one day

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Update: 1st Calls now scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008

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Adair County Enhanced 911 Center dates

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1. Update: Will start August 28, 2008. Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 5:00pm Test calls start and continue until 700 calls are satisfactorily completed
2. Wednesday, September 3, 2008: New Adair Enhanced 911 Dispatch center goes online
3. Thursday, on 9/11, September 11, 2008: Open house tours from 4:00pmCT until 6:00pmCT. Public invited. Refreshments will be served

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By Ed Waggener

Adair County Judge Executive Ann Melton has announced a change in plans. Test calls will begin tomorrow night, Thursday, August 28, 2008. Orginally, the county has planned to start making the 700 test calls for the Adair County Enhanced 911 Center starting at 5:00pmCT, today Wednesday, August 27, 2008. But plans changed today.

The calls will be conducted through the weekend, if necessary, Judge Melton said. She asks that county residents who receive the calls do as much as possible to help keep call time to a minimum.


"The verification is very important," she said. "We'll need to be as businesslike as possible," she added. "It is a serious undertaking, important to the safety and well-being of every Adair Countian."

The data from the old 911 dispatch center has been transferred to the new computers, she said, and the random test calls will be made to insure that the transfer was complete and correct.

"I want everyone to know that the calls are authentic," she said. "We'll be making very brief calls telling who we are and asking that callers verify that we have reached the right party by returning the call by dialing either 211 or 311. Our equipment will be able to tell where the call originated," she said.

One thousand numbers have been randomly selected by computer to give the callers enough numbers to verify.

Adair County Enhanced 911 Dispatchers will be assisted by volunteers, including Judge Melton, Administrative Assistant Lisa Lee, and Adair County Finance Officer Gale Cowan.

The new Center will will be live on September 3, 2008, Judge Melton said.

There will be an open house on September 11, 2008, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, with tours of the facility. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.

This story was posted on 2008-08-27 15:56:35