Endorsements and editorials are made solely by the ownership of this newspaper. As is the case at most newspapers across the nation, The Spokesman-Review newsroom and its editors are not a part of this endorsement process. (Learn more.)

Editorial: Vote yes for vital communications systems

Fri., April 7, 2017

As anyone who’s been in a urgent situation knows, you need to speak with emergency workers and they need to speak to you. But police and fire responders weren’t always able to communicate with each other across departmental and jurisdictional boundaries.

That changed when voters approved a small sales tax increase in 2008 for integrated emergency communication systems, which allowed fire departments and law enforcement agencies in Spokane County to outfit first responders with up-to-date radios and maintain Crime Check, which had been closed due to budget cuts.

The one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax expires in September 2018, and voters are being asked to renew it. Ballots are being sent out now and the final day to vote is April 25. The tax amounts to a penny on a $10 purchase.

Since the first measure passed, first responders have been outfitted with digital mobile devices. Gone are the clunky radios with spotty reception and limited range. The tax has also financed a computer-aided dispatch system, which can send detailed information to police and fire workers in the field. In addition, 22 radio towers have been upgraded and maintained.

But like all technology, it wears out and must be continually updated.

Perhaps the most obvious beneficiary has been Crime Check, which went dormant in 2004 and returned in 2009, thanks to voters. That’s the phone number Spokane County residents were used to calling for nonemergencies. In the absence of Crime Check, law enforcement only took those calls during business hours on weekdays. This hindered the ability of officers to gather information and gauge trends. Plus, some people just stopped bothering to call because of the inconvenience, or they didn’t want to call 911 for something that might not be deemed an emergency.

Last year, Crime Check averaged 676 calls a day. Some calls were about new crimes. Some were tips that helped detectives with investigations. It’s an essential tool, and the sales tax accounts for 65 percent of its budget.

First responders say the communication upgrade was clearly beneficial during recent wildfires and the big windstorm of 2015. Fire and police were able to maintain communications throughout the windstorm and coordinate responses. It was a stark contrast to the ice storm of 1997 and firestorm of 1991, when responders in the field couldn’t talk unless they were face to face.

A renewal of the sales tax would also allow the 911 system to pursue upgrades that will allow for photos and videos to be conveyed with emergency calls.

Many of the upgrades are mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, so if voters turn down the renewal, the money will have to come from elsewhere in local budgets. Public safety is already strapped.

We recommend a yes vote on Proposition 1 to enhance and maintain vital communication services and to protect public safety budgets.