LOVE COUNTY, OKLA – In a matter of days, residents of Love County will decide whether to upgrade their current 911 dispatch center to an "Enhanced" 911 system. Monday night, the county 911 Board held its final community forum on the upcoming election. Shelby Levins reports.

Supporters of the E-911 proposition say the current set-up is out-dated by decades, and an enhanced system is needed to provide timely emergency response for the area. Now, one family speaks out, sharing a personal story and the devastating results caused by a lag in emergency response time.

The last picture taken of baby Michael Richard Sommers is framed. The three-month old died after his mother says it took emergency responders more than 35 minutes to travel the 2.5 miles to the their home.

"You always expect that you'll be the first to go and your children will be there to see you off - it's tough to see it in the reverse direction. I cried for days, I couldn't sleep for days, and I still cry sometimes,” mother Carol Sommers explained.

Sommers says she was living in Alaska when the tragedy happened, and although it happened thousands of miles away, more than 25 years ago, baby Michael's memory lives on today in Texoma.

Sommers and her husband dedicated their careers to emergency management. Now, living in Love County, Sommers wants to ensure a rapid response time and updated technology for all residents.

"My husband and I both got on board and (are) strong advocates in getting enhanced-911 systems. I don't think anybody should have to go through what we did,” Sommers explained.

When a call comes in to Love County's current 911 system, the dispatcher only has a number, and the caller's verbal directions to rely on. Many say that's not enough, and the outdated system could be costing lives.

But area residents hold the power to change that if they vote to approve the enhanced-911 system next week.

"Our response time right now - we're looking 25-30 minutes by the time somebody finally finds the residence. This will cut it down to approximately about 10 minutes,” Emergency Management Director Tracey Smithwick stated.

During the last community meeting on Monday night, Smithwick explained the costs of the new system. Residential land lines would increase by about $2.50 a month, and cell phones would be charged an additional $0.50 monthly.

Sommers says that's a small price to pay.

"I don't think I can stress it enough - please get out an vote, give it a positive thumbs up because we need it to save lives in our community,” Sommers said.

The E-911 election is set for Tuesday, December 8th. Polls will be open from 7am to 7pm. The two measures - one for the increased landline fee and one for the additional cell phone fee - need a simple majority to pass.