Protesters demand 911 fix

A new citizens group said it plans to put the heat on Whitley County elected officials in order to get 911 addresses fixed, county roads improved, and to bring laid off sheriff’s deputies back to work.
Nearly 30 people turned out at Briar Creek Park Saturday afternoon for the Citizens of Whitley County or C.O.W.C. rally.
“We are making a stand. We are tired. We are tired of our tax money being misused, our 911 system going uncorrected, our police force cut back, and our highways in the shape they are in,” said Nadine Faulkner, one of the rally organizers.
“We are going to be breathing down these politicians backs, that’s what we are going to do. They have four years to prove themselves, or they are going to be voted out of there.
“We are tired of losing our loved ones on the highways, and we are tired of losing our loved ones because the 911 system is inaccurate.”
“My brother lost a grandbaby in October of last year because the 911 system showed up his home as an unlisted address,” Faulkner said. “Last week there was a toddler that could have lost his life. They’ve had 10 months to correct this problem, and they haven’t made any effort.”
Faulkner said she and other residents have contacted 911 officials about the address problem.
She said 911 officials have told her what address is showing up, and promising that incorrect addresses will be corrected, but that it isn’t being done.
Faulkner said she has been shuffled between the 911 dispatcher center, the post office, and the Whitley County PVA’s office trying to get the address problem solved, but without results.
Faulkner said Saturday’s rally is just the beginning.
Whitley County Judge-Executive Burley Foley said he spoke with Faulkner on the phone Tuesday morning, and that he is aware of her concerns, and that the 911 address problem is something that was already being worked on.
“Her major concern was 911. As I told her, when I took the position, we had a 911 mess quite frankly,” Foley said. “Since that time, we have taken great strides and great steps to get the addresses correct.”
The county is spending over $40,000 to update the 911 addresses and to record GPS coordinates for all homes.
Foley said the county has an outside firm updating the 911 addressing, in addition to a PVA office employee, and some part-time help to update the addresses.
“It is a continuous cleansing thing because if you go up a road today, there may not be a house there,” Foley said. “Tomorrow, they might set a house trailer in there, or build a house, or whatever type of residence it may be. They don’t necessarily always put the most accurate information on the house.”
“Irregardless of errors by the people, it is our responsibility to find a way to get it accurate because it is our job to protect the people, and get ambulances to them. Are there some issues? Sure there are some issues, but we are working hard and diligently to try and correct them.”
Foley admits that there are instances where members of the public do everything right and the addresses are still wrong because of human error.
Foley said he plans to meet with Faulkner, and 911 Director Angie Mattingly to discuss the 911 address situation, and to update Faulkner on what steps that the county is taking and how fast they are making changes.
“It has been a sense of urgency for us for about six months now, but there are over 30,000 people in Whitley County. It is a large chore,” Foley said. “We have people going door to door in some areas.”

Road repairs
Faulkner said her granddaughter died in a wreck on July 5 following a wreck on Ky. 92 because the guardrail wasn’t put in properly and because the highway wasn’t kept up.
She said another example of road problems includes new blacktop laid in the Sally Gap area that in some cases has raised the road up nearly as high as the guardrail.
“When you’re travelling this winter, you better hope you aren’t meeting anybody so you can get on the other side,” Faulkner said.
Foley said Ky. 92E is a state highway, and that the fiscal court can’t put up guardrails there.
“I’ll be glad to call and support it. I’m concerned about it because it is in Whitley County, but there is a process there that the state had to follow to correct that problem,” Foley added.

Burglaries up
Faulkner said burglaries are also up in the area since the layoff of sheriff’s deputies.
Sheriff Lawrence Hodge has said previously that his department has investigated a rash of burglaries in the Gatliff area that have occurred since mid to late May, especially since deputies were laid off in early July.
Foley said he has run the numbers in terms of reported burglaries, and that while burglaries are up some countywide, burglaries aren’t up significantly compared to the same time period last year.
“As I went on to tell her, we are $8,000 ahead of schedule on our payments to the sheriff, and we think hopefully by the end of this money, we will be able to give him a little more money that has been our intention all along,” Foley said.
Foley said the disappointing thing to him was that Faulkner didn’t come in to him to voice her problems before holding a rally.
“I felt like after I talked to her this morning that she felt better. I even invited her down to my office,” he said. “I understand their concerns. I really do. They are all legitimate. I would have liked to have a chance to answer those prior to a rally, or a newspaper article.”
Foley added that part of the reason for the increase in the 911 fee this year was to pay for the 911 address changes.
“We don’t want any disasters. Trust me,” he said.