MARSHALL COUNTY, OK -- When you dial 911 in an emergency, you expect help to be on the way immediately. But what if first responders couldn't find you? Marshall County says that's the reality with their outdated system. But with an upcoming election, that could soon change.

Currently, Marshall County officials say the wait time for a 911 call placed outside the Madill city limits can be upwards of 20 minutes. And because the current 911 system is so outdated, leaders say that wait time only increases for cell phone callers. But Marshall County voters will have the power to change that with the 911 elections September 8th.

The Marshall County dispatch center receives dozens of 911 calls each day. But 60% of all those emergency calls are placed from cell phones, which actually can't even come across the system’s receiving screen.

"Right now, we are in the cave ages as far as cell phones. If a cell phone call comes in it’s broadcasted over the business phone,” Donny Raley, Communication Director for the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, said.

Raley says when emergency cell phone calls come in, the dispatcher only has the caller's number and a map to find their location.

"If a caller can't tell us where they're at then we can't find them. It’s basically that simple. The only thing we have to go on right now with a cell phone call is voice directions,” Raley explained.

Raley says in emergency situations, when time is critical, his office knows all too well that is not enough. Raley played a 911 call from last year for First News. A woman called from a cell phone after a severe accident. But because of the county’s outdated system, the dispatcher had no idea where the cell phone caller was.

Raley said the other woman hurt in that accident didn't make it. But he says voters hold the power to change that.

On September 8th, voters will chose whether to approve a 50 cent monthly service fee on cell phone bills, and a 15% monthly service charge on the base rate of landlines, which works out to be about a $1.50.

"Once we have a 911 system set up we can lower those fees as needed,” Debora Pennypacker, Marshall County’s E-911 Coordinator explained.

Pennypacker says the new system costs about $150,000 and will use GPS to map every incoming call.

Raley says without the new system, Marshall County 911 emergency services will continue to suffer, and that could mean slower service when seconds count.

Currently, Marshall County residents pay a 3% monthly service fee for 9-1-1 operations on land lines, but there is no fee for 911 operations on cell phones.