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La Paz council flags 911/addressing errors after misrouted calls
Summary
Council members said inconsistent addressing—businesses using four- or five-digit addresses and county/city address mismatches—has caused 911 calls to route to the wrong dispatch; the council agreed to write letters to affected businesses and consult the county auditor and phone carriers to reduce future delays.
Council members and staff spent extensive time on a recurring problem: addresses in the town and county mapping systems and phone-carrier information have produced misrouted emergency calls, raising public-safety concerns.
Committee member reported that a recent call at Max Market listed a four-digit address that routed to a nearby jurisdiction, causing confusion for 911 dispatchers. Diane from the GIS department flagged the issue and provided examples showing some businesses' addresses appear in county systems as four- or five-digit numbers or are labeled as Michigan Road versus Michigan Street, which routed responders incorrectly.
"Is this a public safety issue?" Staff member asked during the discussion, later answering, "It has to be." Council members discussed possible remedies including a letter to affected businesses explaining the town's 911 address format, asking businesses to post their 911 address visibly for employees and patrons, and directing property owners to work with the county auditor to obtain corrected three-digit numbers when appropriate. Staff also noted that if a phone call originates from a landline, the carrier's outbound address settings can be the root cause and would require the phone company to correct the record.
Council agreed to draft outreach (letters and posting guidance) for affected businesses and to contact the county plan director and auditor to explore a more permanent fix; town staff said the fire department should follow up with businesses where needed to ensure correct information in 911 calls.
