Atchison County residents will soon gain the ability to summon emergency help with a text message, in a new arrangement that confers various other benefits.
A 5-0 vote by city commissioners at Monday’s City of Atchison governing body meeting has authorized, via Resolution No. 3156, the city to partner with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) along with the Atchison County government.
MARC currently serves a nine-county area around the Kansas City metro, including Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson and Miami counties in Kansas. The vote came after a presentation by Kim Pruett, Atchison County 911 director, and Wes Lanter, Atchison County Emergency Management director, following previous action by the Atchison County Commission to join MARC. To date, the city has operated the Atchison County Communications Board with the county to provide county-wide 911 services. Following Monday’s vote, MARC will take ownership of Atchison County telecommunication equipment, and integrate it into the MARC network.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)