Spokane County Proposition One is asking voters for a Renewal Sales and Use Tax for Emergency Communications Systems and Facilities.
The Spokane County Communications Center is a busy place with emergency operators taking both 911 calls, as well as Crime Check calls for less threatening emergencies. This call center has been in place since 2008, and was funded by one tenth of one percent added to sales tax in the county. The center collects information from callers, and then coordinates response by police, sheriffs, and fire personnel.
Spokane Valley Fire Chief, Bryan Collins explains that until the system was funded in 2008, agencies like his could not communicate directly with others, like the sheriff’s office or police: “We were often at the scene of calls together. And us and them, fire and police being able to communicate ahead of that call, during and after that call, via the radio system is just a world of differences when we had to do that stuff face to face.”