MARSHALLVILLE - When William Crawford thought his wife was having a heart attack last week, his first reaction was natural he dialed 911. <br>
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He didn't expect a recorded voice to tell him, ''911 is not a working emergency number for your area.'' <br>
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The Crawfords live about 90 miles south of Atlanta in rural Macon County, one of 33 counties in the state without an emergency 911 system. They moved to the area two years from nearby Houston County, which does have 911. <br>
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``It was just like I had my hands tied behind me and I couldn't do nothing for my wife,'' William Crawford said. <br>
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It took him about 15 minutes and three calls to request an ambulance, which arrived about 15 minutes later. Patricia Crawford, 53, survived the ordeal, although doctors aren't sure what happened. She may have had a minor heart attack. <br>
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The Crawfords are among about 280,000 Georgians without 911. <br>
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``The whole point of 911 is to give people a quick, easy and memorable number,'' said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, chairman of emergency medicine at Emory University Hospital. ``It's the step from which everything else follows.'' <br>
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The lack of emergency service is mostly blamed on the small populations of the counties and a lack of money. Counties are allowed to charge $1.50 for every hard-wired telephone in their jurisdiction, but that wouldn't be enough in Macon County, population 14,074. <br>
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Start-up costs would be about $500,000, and annual costs would be another $350,000. With just 6,200 local telephone subscribers, the county would collect only $108,000 from the fees. The county's operating budget is already so tight commissioners delayed buying new police cars and road building equipment this year. <br>
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State lawmakers also have been reluctant to subsidize local programs, but Sen. George Hooks, D-Americus, plans to seek funds this session to help these counties develop a joint 911 center. Five counties in Hooks' district, including Macon County, do not have the service. <br>
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It ``saves lives, there's no question about it,'' said Elaine Sexton, 911 adviser to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, which manages the state's system. ``Seconds are extremely important when you're dealing with an emergency situation. They are critical.'' <br>
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A House bill introduced Monday would allow certain state grants to be spent helping local fire departments or emergency services buy equipment needed for 911. The grants currently can be used only on disaster preparedness, not emergency response. <br>
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Saving time dialing isn't the only reason for the service. The majority of 911 systems allow an operator to see the address automatically, and most dispatchers are trained to talk callers through emergency procedures like CPR. <br>
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The Association County Commissioners of Georgia plans to study the state's 911 system, and Clint Mueller, an associate legislative director, said the association expects to make recommendations before next year's legislative session. <br>
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