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The INDEPENDENT, October 16, 2003
HER
day in
Mutual need: People and
Columbia County 9-1-1
People who don’t trust government or who think all
taxes are bad, should look closely at the Columbia 9-
1-1 Emergency Dispatch district. The district was
formed with a very small tax base and the directors told
Columbia County residents that the base would not be
sufficient for the growth and technological changes
needed.
They planned to seek an increased tax base when
necessary, but changes in the way districts are fi
nanced also changed their plans. Since then, the dis
trict has functioned, remarkably well, with five-year op
erating levys.
Columbia 9-1-1 is truly county-wide, providing serv
ice to the Nehalem Valley which is identical to that re
ceived by all other areas of the county. In the Nehalem
valley, there are no urgent care clinics, there aren’t
even any doctors. When we need emergency medical
services we call 9-1-1. When we need the fire or police
departments, we call 9-1-1.
There is no need to detail the work done by Colum
bia 9-1-1, enough letters in this issue have done that
for us. So, if you’re not sure how thjs levy will affect
you, please read the letters.
It makes no difference how much we claim to sup
port Columbia 9-1-1. We must show our support by
VOTING. If we do not meet the double majority re
quirement - more than 50% of registered voters cast
ing a ballot, and more than 50% of those voting to ap
prove the levy - we will cripple not just 9-1-1, but our
own emergency services.
There is, however, one unusual characteristic in this
levy request. It doesn’t ask for an increased amount,
but is slightly less than we are now paying!
We urge a YES vote to renew the 5-year operating
levy for Columbia 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatct.
I
— NOTICE —
The INDEPENDENT is published on the first and third Thurs
days of each month. There are five Thursdays in October, so
| there will be three weeks between the issue of October 16
and the issue of November 6.
To provide some break time for our staff, the office will be
closed from October 22 through October 27. Messages may ,
be left via fax or voice mail at 503-429-9410, or by e-mail to
noni@vernonia.com or clark@vernonia.com
Deadline for the issue of November 6 will be October 31.
Columbia 9-1-1 does
job well, efficiently
As a first responder to fires
and emergency medical calls,
and as M ist-Birkenfeld Fire
Chief, I have firsthand knowl
edge of the vital role of Colum
bia 9-1-1 Communications Dis
trict and its dispatchers in coor
dinating all of the public safety
agencies throughout the coun
ty. Not only do we benefit from
outstanding, highly trained,
professional dispatch and coor
dination, but the taxpayers ben
efit too. That’s because as an
independent agency, Columbia
9-1-1’s 15 dispatchers are on
the job 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. It would take 75+ peo
ple and a lot more money to do
that same job if each fire, police
or emergency medical service
had its own dispatchers.
In addition, as chairman for
the 9-1-1 District’s Advisory
Board, I have the benefit of a
unique perspective on Colum
bia 9-1-1. With members repre
senting each of the 16 law en
forcement, fire, emergency
medical and support agencies
in the county, our Advisory
Board’s purpose is to work with
and advise the elected volun
teer 9-1-1 Board of Directors.
Working together, we have
been able to take the coordina
tion and cooperation 9-1-1 pro
vides on emergency calls to a
new level. We meet with 9-1-1
regularly, to exchange informa
tion, provide analysis and cri
tiques, take part in additional
training, anticipate and prevent
problems - in other words,
work together to make sure the
citizens of Columbia County re
ceive the best emergency re
sponse possible. Reliable 9-1-1
communications allows emer
gency service agencies to work
more closely together, using
fewer resources and providing
services we otherwise could
not afford. We all do our jobs
better when we coordinate, and
that means we can serve you
better.
In November, Columbia 9-1-
1 is taking another huge step in
providing the best possible
communication coordination,
when the new Public Safety,
Microwave Radio System goes
into operation. To us, that
means there will no longer be
“dead zones” where we are out
of touch with dispatchers, each
other, or you, the people we’re
trying to help. To you, it means
an even greater level of safety,
protection and emergency re
sponse, especially since the
microwave system won’t have
the same problems with floods
and things that affect phone
lines. Here’s the icing on the
microwave radio cake - it was
paid for using $1.4 million in
feredal grants - not by those of
us who live here. That was a
promise Columbia 9-1-1 made,
and it’s a promise delivered.
I am pleased, and proud, to
serve on the Columbia 9-1-1
Advisory Board, and to work
with Columbia 9-1-1 every sin
gle day.
Chief Dave Crawford
Mist
Efficient emergency
response is the goal
As your elected representa
tives for Columbia 9-1-1 Com
munications District, we repre
sent every community within
our county. We get help from a
9-1-1 Advisory Board that in
cludes someone from every fire
district and emergency medical
agency, and law enforcement
agency. Together, we make
sure 9-1-1 em ergency re
sponse is always working to
get better, with one goal in
mind: to provide the best, most
Please see page 3