OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, on Thursday accepted Senate amendments on a bill that would update the state's 911 system in the hope of saving more lives. House Bill 1590 passed the House on fourth reading and now moves to the governor for his consideration of signing it into law.

The bill is named for Haiden Fleming, a 22-year-old Oklahoman who died after suffering a cardiac incident. He was the former student of Sen. Blake "Cowboy" Stephens, R-Tahlequah, who is a co-author of the bill. Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, is the Senate principal author.

The bill was initially requested by the state's 911 Commission, and came together after Grego held an interim study on the issue.

"We heard in that study from several constituents whose children faced life-threatening situations while 911 calls were rerouted through different dispatch centers, and ambulance drivers struggled with navigating using outdated maps," Grego said. "The same thing happened in the case of the young man for whom this bill is named. Updating our system will save lives."

Grego said the issue is a particular concern in rural areas or where someone who lives too close to a county line may face time delays while 911 calls are sent to different call centers while the system tries to locate their address. That was the case for Haiden Fleming.

"This upgrade will ensure pinpoint accuracy so no matter where someone lives, 911 will know exactly where that person is and get them the assistance they need," Grego said. 

In addition to infrastructure and computer upgrades, the bill also requires mandatory CPR training for emergency telecommunicators and will equalize fees charged for the service so it is uniform across the state. Grego said he's hopeful the updated fee structure will allow some communities to hire more dispatchers to help with emergency calls. He pointed out that the state's 911 system was last updated in 1975.