LEE COUNTY – The LeeComm Dispatch Center is taking its programming into area schools.
As part of their efforts, the Lee County CrimeStoppers made a contribution this week of $1,000 to the effort.
The program is helping students of all ages to realize the importance of knowing how and when to use 911 for emergency situations.
On Tuesday, Lee County Crimestoppers presented a check to LeeComm officials at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The money will be used initially to purchase a mascot, “LeeComm Larry”, an owl who will be made available to community groups and schools to help teach the lessons.
Travis Solem, the director of LeeComm dispatch said the state is providing some free materials to get started, including coloring books and bookmarks, but money is needed to expand the program.
Solem has included $2,500 in the LeeComm budget to go toward getting the program off the ground.
Amber Roberts, who’s heading up the program for the Lee County 911 Dispatch Association, said the mascot costume will cost about $4,000.
“The $4,000 would get us the full-size costume. Right now, we’re getting coloring books and bookmarks to give to the kids when we do the education program. We’d like to modify that to be more specific to our user agencies,” Roberts said.
Roberts said the message being conveyed to students is around how and when to call 911.
“The message is how to and when to use 911. There’s a lot of kids, especially the generations with the technology, that we need to let know they can utilize texting and their mobile devices to stay on the phone as long as they can,” Roberts said.
“With the mapping system we have, we can get a quick location on them if they aren’t able to talk to us, and we’re trying to help them not be scared.”
Roberts said some of the program is aimed at educating people on how LeeComm functions.
“There are a lot of people in Lee County who don’t even know we’re consolidated. They think Keokuk, Fort Madison, and Lee County are all separate dispatches.”
The program started about a month ago and the dispatchers have formed their own association. The group is having a fundraiser to kick start operations with a BINGO Night at the Fort Madison LULAC club on May 12.
“Obviously, we still have a need for funds for other things,” Solem said.
Dispatch members have already given presentations at Lincoln and Richardson Elementary. They’ve scheduled visits to Central Lee in a couple weeks, and they have made contact information in Keokuk.
“We’d like to get in front of the kids before the end of this school year,” Roberts said.
More information and a Venmo QR code can be found on the groups’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090811491555.
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