9-1-1 FAQs! What is a "9-1-1 District" (and who runs
it) Public Speaker
Programs Kids
Programs (Red E. Fox) Wireless 9-1-1 (Cell phones)
History
In May 1987 the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 911 (codified Health &
Safety Code, Chapter 722) to assure that all of Texas' 18.5
million citizens would have access to 9-1-1 emergency telephone service.
From anywhere in the state, dialing the digits "9" "1"
"1" would allow callers to reach local emergency services quickly.
The Legislature eventually identified three ways to facilitate the
implementation of 9-1-1 throughout the state by establishing:
1. Emergency
Communication Districts
2. Regional
Council of Governments
3. "Home-rule"
cities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a November 1987 general referendum, the citizens of Ector County created the
Emergency Communications District of Ector County. The District is a
governmental entity, separate and distinct from other city and county
government, and our 9-1-1 jurisdiction includes all of the city
limits of the City of Odessa and all Ector County. We are funded by a
telephone service fee which is applied to the monthly telephone bill.
When it was first created, the District's Board of Managers contracted with the
City of Odessa for the administration of the 9-1-1 program. Odessa had
been the first in Texas to offer 9-1-1 service and had done so successfully for
17 years before the District was created so it was assumed that the service
could be continued using the same resources.
As the technical requirements of 9-1-1 service grew and state regulations
became more complicated, it became obvious that a full-time staff would be
necessary to administer the 9-1-1 system. In October 1992 the District
opened its own office and hired a staff of three.
The purpose of the 9-1-1 system is to deliver emergency telephone calls to
public safety agencies. Thus we are not the telephone company and we are
not a public safety agency. We are a coordinator/facilitator of the
9-1-1 service. Our job is to:
1. Make sure your call goes to
the correct agency
2. Make sure the right information
is displayed with your call (phone number and location)
3. Train public safety
personnel how to use the 9-1-1 equipment features
4. Educate the public in When and How to Use 9-1-1
We spend a lot of time making sure all the operations comply with federal,
state and local regulations. It's amazing just how many regulations and
specifications there are! We strive to provide an effective and
efficient 9-1-1 emergency telephone system despite those obstacles.
There are 139,630[1] citizens
in the District's jurisdiction and 65,000 telephone access exchange
lines. The monthly service fee for residential wireline telephone and
static VoIP subscribers is 51 cents. Business subscribers pay $1.06
per month. All wireless and nomadic VoIP telephone subscribers in Texas
pay a flat rate of 50 cents per month.
The service fees are used for telephone equipment, public education, and
training. During FY 2010 the District paid over $14,000 per month for
equipment maintenance and service. The District also provides support and
training to the two public safety communications centers in Ector County - the Odessa
Communication Center and the Ector County Sheriff's Office dispatch center.
Board of Managers
Chairman:
Bennie Cope, Goldsmith City Manager
Vice-Chairman:
Freddie Gardner, Commissioner - Ector County
Board
Secretary:
Timothy
Burton, Police Chief - City of Odessa
Member:
Jimmy Ellis, Ector County Volunteer Fire Departments
Member:
Thomas McCain, Ector County Representative
Ex-officio Member:
Josh McMahan, AT&T
Members are appointed for two-year terms:
* two members by Ector County
* one member by the City of Odessa
* one member by the City of Goldsmith
* one member by the Ector County Volunteer Fire Departments
* one member by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
(non-voting)
Staff
Executive Director:
Kevin Jones, ENP
Operations Assistants
Philip Mroz and Mary Miller
Administrative Assistant:
Jeanna Olberts
Public Meetings
Regular meetings of the Ector County 9-1-1 District Board of Managers are
held on the second Wednesday of every quarter (Jan, April, July, Oct) in the District’s
Board Room, Suite 120, Bank of America Building, 700 North Grant Avenue.
Meetings begin at 6:00 PM and are open to the public.
Agendas and schedules are posted at City Hall and at the Court House Annex 72
hours prior.
*NOTE* - Occasionally meetings are re-scheduled due to conflicts.
Please confirm meeting schedules with our administrative assistant at 332-0911.
Ector County 9-1-1
700 North Grant Ave.
Suite 100
Odessa, Texas 79761
(432) 332-0911
email us at: Information
Home page · Information Menu · Programs Menu · 9-1-1 News · Top
March 30, 2011
Copyright 1997-2011 Emergency Communications
District of Ector County
[1] January
2010 population estimates from Office of State Demographics, Texas State Data
Center. Population adjustment of 2,100
made from