Pryor Police Chief Dennis Nichols is applying for an upgrade to the Pryor 911 system.

Pryor City Council voted Tuesday to allow Nichols to apply for a federal grant that would fund the upgrade.

Nichols told council the city would be upgrading the system to receive wireless phone calls.

The deadline to turn in the grant application was 5 p.m. Thursday. Nichols said the state just learned Monday that the grant money would be available. The funding will be awarded in September.

The grant requires 50 percent matching funds from the city to buy the new system. Towns receiving the grant will have until 2012 to implement the system.

Nichols said he is not sure how much funding the city could receive. He said he cannot guarantee what the monthly service fee will be until the grant is approved and the city seeks bids.

The City of Pryor currently pays $1,100 to $1,200 a month for the 911 system at the Pryor police station. All 911 calls made from hard lines with an 825 prefix go to the Pryor station.

The city is currently contracted with AT&T; for the 911 service. Nichols said the company has worked well with the city on

maintenance and equipment.

The city has the choice of leasing a new wireless system from a cellular provider or buying the equipment outright. Nichols said “the more you pay up front” on a five-year lease, the lower the monthly fee will be.

Buying the wireless 911 equipment outright would cost between $160,000 and $180,000. With advancing technology, Nichols said professionals are projecting systems will need upgrading in five years.

If the grant is awarded, Nichols said the city will be considering equipment, maintenance agreements and outright purchase versus leasing.

“This wireless upgrade is to make this system more efficient,” said Nichols.

Nichols said the current system has served the town well, but parts are becoming difficult to find because it is an older system. For the safety of citizens, Nichols said the system needs upgrading.

Rick Langkamp, director of Mayes Emergency Services Trust Authority (MESTA), pointed out that Mayes County 911 has offered 911 service to the entire county for over two years.

Langkamp said Mayes County has one of the finest systems available. Mayes County was one of the first counties in Oklahoma to have wireless 911 service.

The county system has the capability to pinpoint wireless calls from the location they are made. Langkamp said at one time there was a problem with 911 cellular calls routing to the area where the phone was purchased.

Wireless calls can be pinpointed to location if the cellular carrier updates its towers. Langkamp said Mayes County cell towers are

updated.

Langkamp asked why Pryor is seeking the grant when the service is already being provided by the county. He said he is unsure why the city wants to consider spending the money when other places could use the grant money.

Langkamp said Mayes County 911 has the ability to have auxiliary sites. He said the county could link with Pryor for a cost of $60,000.

When 911 cellular calls from Pryor come to the county system, the county dispatch transfers the call to the Pryor police or fire

station.

“Or, we handle the EMS calls,” Langkamp said.

Nichols said he believes the citizens of Pryor will get better service if the city has its own wireless 911 system.

“Our dispatchers know where the streets are,” Nichols said. “I think response time is critical.”

Nichols said in 1993 “the City of Pryor took a leap out and voted to put in a 911 system when the

county wasn’t interested.” The

citizens of Pryor voted to institute a 5 percent tax on each hard line. The county pays 8 percent on hard lines.

“It’s not a money issue,” said Nichols. “It’s a safety issue for the citizens here.”

Council voted unanimously to apply for the grant for the emergency call system. The mayor was approved to sign the grant application for up to $100,000. This would make the grant amount $50,000 and the city’s match $50,000, for a total cost of $100,000.

• Fire Chief Tim Thompson will seek applications for a volunteer firefighter to fill an vacant position. Volunteer fireman Allen Proctor recently resigned after being with the Pryor Fire Department for

nearly 18 years.

• Council approved reimbursing Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce with grants from Hotel/Motel funds, contingent upon proof of purchase. Council approved $20,655 for advertising and promotion. Council approved $2,715.64 for advertising for the patriotic concert in the park. Council approved $793.29 for advertising for Cowboy Days.

City Clerk Eva Smith said the chamber has not submitted the paid receipts for the advertising. The chamber will be paid as soon as the city has proof of the purchases.