Settlement Will Fund 911 System
The city expects to buy a new 911 system after reaching a $1.35-million court settlement last week with McDonnell Douglas Corp.
City officials sued the aerospace giant in 1993, alleging that the company, after selling its computer manufacturing division, left the city without adequate hardware and software support to maintain the emergency system, City Atty. Gail Hutton said.
“We did a lot of work. We had to spend nearly $360,000 to get this settlement,” she said. “We had to travel as far as St. Louis and Europe to reach people for this case.”
Roger Ham, police information systems manager, said the city entered into a contract with McDonnell Douglas in 1988 to maintain the 911 system.
Mayor Shirley S. Dettloff said the city received the settlement check Thursday and plans to use the money for an updated 911 system.
“It will help put into place an adequate system for our police and fire departments,” she said.
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