SENATOR BRUNO WANTS COUNTIES TO SHARE IN WIRELESS 911 SURCHARGE

Funding Would Help Support Emergency Response Improvements

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, along with Senators Dean G. Skelos, James L. Seward and Mary Lou Rath, chairwoman of the Committee on Local Governments, today proposed channeling a share of the state's wireless phone surcharge to help counties pay for improvements to their 911 emergency systems.

The Senate Majority plan would use at least one-fourth of the 70 cents monthly wireless surcharge included in every wireless phone bill to provide $75 million over three years to help eligible counties with the expense of meeting a new federal mandate to upgrade wireless 911 services, as well as beef up their local emergency service systems.

Right now, counties count on revenue from a similar surcharge on traditional "hard line" phones to pay for their 911 service. But the increasing popularity of wireless phones has resulted in a surge of wireless emergency calls, for which counties receive no additional financial support.

Thirty-one counties and New York City that provide coverage for all wireless 911 calls, in addition to emergency calls placed through hard line phones, would qualify for aid under the program. The State Police provides coverage for the other counties and throughout the rest of the state and would retain the remaining surcharge funds, as recommended in the Executive budget.

"Local counties from Long Island to the Niagara Frontier face growing expenses from responding to emergency 911 calls, but they have not received additional funding to help them deal with this growing surge," said Senator Skelos (R-C, Rockville Centre). "Reimbursement for these growing expenses is more than fair -- it is long overdue."

In Nassau County, the 700,000 cell phones now in use have resulted in thousands of calls to the police department's emergency services system. The Senate's proposal would provide at least $5.4 million to the county over three years.

New York expects to collect $60 million in the next budget year from the wireless phone surcharge. The Senate's budget resolution will direct $15 million of that amount to local counties, gradually increasing that amount to $35 million by 2004.

A new federal law requires emergency service providers to install high-tech tracking and locating systems to identify wireless 911 callers in an effort to speed response and rescue times.

"The federal mandate will result in millions of dollars in added costs both to the state and local governments," said Senator Rath (R-C, Williamsville). "With this step, we will ensure that county taxpayers aren't handed the bill for an essential service that should support to help improve our emergency services throughout the state."

"Wireless phones have been a blessing to thousands of motorists and others who, with the touch of a button, have been able to summon help, report accidents and even stop crimes in progress," said Senator Seward (R-C, Oneonta). "This bill will help make sure that system will continue to grow as needed to handle the increasing number of emergency calls."

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