Staff Writer

Questionnaires asking for information necessary for the new E-911 system has been delivered, but not all residents have cooperated.

E-911 director Jan Dismukes said MSAG Data Consultants, Inc. of Orange, Va. began field verification on Wednesday, June 27 by distributing packets that ask for much-needed information and completed that task earlier this month.

Now, the work to compile the information is being done in Virginia, but all the information needed hasn’t been received.

"If it hasn’t been returned, that will hold up the process," Dismukes said. "I want to reiterate if they haven’t been sent in, they need to be sent in now."

Dismukes had originally asked the forms be returned within 10 days. Some people have done that, but others have not, Dismukes said, adding she is not exactly sure of the numbers of those that haven’t.

She said some Pike County residents have reported they never received the forms and MSAG is supposed to return to "do cleanup."

The packets contained a form that asked for name, current mailing address and phone number and a postage-paid envelope.

"It’s a very short form that takes less than two minutes to complete," Dismukes said.

Information being compiled by MSAG will eventually be sent to the post office so mail will be delivered to the correct address once the process is complete, Dismukes said.

The entire process has to be up and running by November 2002.

Dismukes also pointed out the new E-911 system was something voted on by the people of Pike County during a referendum.

"It’s been a challenge," Dismukes said of the process of collecting data and expects the mapping to be more of the same.

Dismukes told Pike County Commissioners the mapping plan involves dividing the county into seven districts, using highways as the dividing lines. Each of those sections will be numbered and the three-digit county road numbers will correspond. For example, roadways in the third district would be renumbered beginning with 300.

Dismukes said the original plan was not to renumber roads in Goshen and Banks, but upon further evaluation, the E-911 board found it would be better to go ahead and make those changes.

The E-911 board is planning to purchase a machine that will print the signs for those roadways being renumbered.