News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved reimbursements of $549,669 for enhanced 911 emergency call systems in eight counties. The money pays the costs of purchasing and installing eligible equipment.

Since 1998, the commission has approved reimbursements of $1,475,906 to 19 counties.

An enhanced 911 system identifies the location of the caller so police, fire, medical or other emergency responders may be dispatched quickly to the scene.

Commission Chairman Bob Anthony said the grants are one of the most important safety assistance programs administered by the commission.

"Approval of these grants will assist the requesting counties and communities in obtaining the equipment needed to rapidly locate the caller. This can be especially important in emergency situations when saving seconds is vital and the person calling may be unable to speak," Anthony said.

The E911 Emergency Service Fund was established by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1997 to help pay costs of upgrading basic 911 service, which does not identify caller location. The fund provides reimbursement for all necessary electronic telecommunications equipment at the location where 911 calls are received. The fund is administered by the Corporation Commission’s Public Utility Division.

The E911 Fund is financed by assessments on local-exchange telephone companies. The phone companies may pass the assessment costs through to customers.

Cherokee and Jackson counties each received the maximum $100,000 allowed for countywide enhanced 911 systems. Three other counties received the full amounts requested: Tillman County, $93,956; Seminole County, $81,560; and Bryan County, $94,956.

An application by El Reno was approved for $50,000, the maximum amount for a multicity enhanced 911 system. The El Reno system also serves Union City and a part of Canadian County.

Two county enhanced 911 systems received only partial reimbursements.

Hughes County was approved for $20,585 of a requested $144,055. Hughes County received $79,415 in 1999. The $20,585 reimbursement brings Hughes County to its maximum of $100,000. The commission denied a supplemental reimbursement for pager radios because they are not eligible equipment.

Creek County was approved for reimbursement of $8,612 of a requested $100,000. The commission order said most of the request was disallowed because it was for laptop computers in emergency vehicles. The commission said laptop computers are not necessary for processing incoming 911 emergency calls.

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