Summer 2015 Newsletter

3 / 4

Forgotten Item
Market Awarded
‘2015 Leader of
the Year’
The Forgotten Item Market in Burden,
Kansas, has received a “2015 Leader
of the Year” award from Kansas State
University’s Huck Boyd National Insti-
tute for Rural Development. “It is very
humbling to think that we were even
a candidate for this award, much less
chosen,” said Sherrie Conklin, owner
of the market with her husband, Scotty.
This year’s five winners were chosen
because they demonstrated out-
standing leadership in business and
service to communities and families.
How did Forgotten ItemMarket get its
start? It’s all in the name! One day,
while doing her Christmas baking,
Sherrie ran out of powdered sugar—
and the nearest store was 25 miles
away. In order to provide local access
to needed supplies, she and her hus-
band created the market. Celebrating
its second anniversary, they offer
groceries, hand-made items from
local artists, and even a custom shop-
ping service for elderly customers.
Sherrie is also an agent for SKT. Stop
by the Forgotten Item Market to
sign up for new services or to talk
with Sherrie about upgrading your
current SKT services. For more infor-
mation, call 620.438.2048 or email
Cornerstone Group © 2015
Unfortunately, many people have discovered the answer to the question above is “No.”
If you use a cellphone to make the call to 911—and you can’t say the address due
to a medical condition or other reason—dispatchers may not be able to pinpoint your
exact location quickly.
Why? In most communities, 911 systems are not equipped to provide dispatchers with
specific location information from the phone record if you call from a cellphone. The
best they can do is to try and get a general indication of your location based on the cell
tower site closest to where you are. This data exchange can take minutes; sometimes, it
doesn’t return a location at all.
This situation often comes as a surprise to people since mobile apps like Facebook and
Uber can tell where you are located with impressive accuracy. The fact is, not all cellphone
calls transmit location data. Your chance of a 911 operator getting a fix on your location
from a cellphone can be as low as 10 percent.1
By contrast, if you call 911 from a landline phone, the phone record is tied to a specific
physical location, and the dispatcher will be able to locate you quickly and send the
appropriate help. The 911 system was designed for landline phones, and it transmits
your call and your location instantly over a hard-wired connection.
The FCC estimates that about 70 percent of 911 calls are now placed from cellphones,
and that number is growing. While cellphone convenience is a great thing when you’re
out and about, your safety and security are two important reasons to also keep a landline
phone at home. Having one enhances the likelihood of emergency personnel locating
your home when every second counts.
To sign up for landline service, call SKT at 888.758.8976.
1USA TODAY. “911’s Deadly Flaw: Lack of Location Data,” February 22, 2015.
news/2015/02/22/cellphone-911-lack-location-data/23570499/
In an Emergency, Would the 911
Dispatcher Know Your Exact Location?
Sherrie Conklin’s market receives
KSU award.