E911 consolidation creates opportunity for more school safety

With the Lake County Sheriff's Department taking the lead in the new E911 center, this is the time to make sure that every school in Lake County is connected to the new E911 center.

Schererville against E-911 interlocal agreement

SCHERERVILLE | Schererville has joined other Lake County communities that oppose a proposed interlocal agreement for the consolidation of E-911 services.

E-911 consolidation players

A look at the main persons involved in the Lake County E-911 consolidation initiative.

Brian Miller

Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller, chairman of an advisory E-911 commission (a panel of police and fire chiefs and elected officials). He has been driving the consolidation push for almost a year.

John Dull

Lake County Attorney John Dull drafted an interlocal agreement that would form a new government body that would employ about 138 people who would operate the consolidated E-911 system. He made the unsuccessful push to have a $30 million referendum on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

Gerry Scheub

Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, supports E-911 consolidation, but is opposed to passing a local personal income tax to finance the $30 million cost of building call centers and buying communications equipment.

E911 interlocal agreement

Interlocal agreement establishing consolidated E911 centers. (Section 9 on committees to advise the commission has been removed.)

Lake County Attorney Dull says cities and towns must step forward on E-911

CROWN POINT | Lake County's elected municipal officials will be invited Thursday to get behind their police and firefighters' vision for a consolidated E-911 system.

Lake County puts E-911 referendum proposal on hold

CROWN POINT | The Lake County Council is delaying a public hearing on whether to ask voters for permission to borrow as much as $30 million to create a consolidated 911 emergency communications system.

Lake 911 panel to ask for taxing district to pay for dispatching merger

CROWN POINT | Lake County public safety officials are proposing a new county taxing district to pay for the infrastructure of consolidating 911 police dispatchers.

Porter Co. government has many claims on our tax dollars

Porter County taxpayers, keep your wallet in your pocket.

Lake County Council cuts amount for E-911 spending

CROWN POINT | The Lake County Council got its E-911 phone bill Tuesday and hit the ceiling.

Porter County Council looking in-house for E911 funding

VALPARAISO | While there has been a lot of talk about looking elsewhere for money needed to fund Porter County's financially strapped E911 system, County Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large, has formed a committee to begin an in-house search.

County officials face challenges in increasing E911 cellphone fees

The E911 fee on contract-based cellphones, which Porter County officials hope to see increased to cover a budget shortfall in the local system, can be raised by no more than 7 cents a year under current state law.

E911 dispatchers get a little help

VALPARAISO | The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved the hiring Tuesday morning of four part-time E911 call takers to bring some quick relief to the overburdened dispatchers working the system.

E911 falling millions behind

VALPARAISO | Porter County's E911 system will need a projected $3.8 million next year to operate, yet will bring in only about $1.6 million in revenue, according to figures compiled by the auditor's office.

Porter County Council: No funding for E911 improvements

VALPARAISO | Jim Biggs and other members of the County Council are calling for a pause to modifications to the E911 system, fearing the current rushed approach is repeating the type of problem that first landed the program in the red.

E911 information may get detailed

VALPARAISO | Porter County residents and business owners may soon have the opportunity to go online and list details that emergency responders should know about them in the event they ever call 911 for help.

County to hire eight dispatchers

VALPARAISO | The Porter County Board of Commissioners followed the recommendation of a consultant Tuesday and agreed to hire eight new dispatchers for the county's troubled E911 system.