Lack of cell phone coverage prompts Helmville VFD to install 911 call box in town

The new 911 call box in downtown Helmville may seem a bit anachronistic in the age of cell phones, but with only isolated bubbles of coverage in the area, access to the public landline may be the best option residents and travelers have at times.

Located on the Helmville volunteer Fire Department's recently acquired new fire hall on the north side of Highway 271, across from the county shop and the community hall, the callbox is the brainchild of Tommy Applegate, a member of the Helmville Volunteer Fire Department who moved to Helmville last year.

Helmville locals know they can probably find a signal in certain spots, such as the corner of Highways 141 and 271, but town itself remains a cell phone dead zone. Applegate, a 24-year veteran of the US Army, believed they needed to find an easy way for people to call 911 in an emergency.

"I thought that was pretty important. Being in the military, having connectivity and communication has always been crucial," he said.

Although most community members probably know whose door they can knock on if they really need a phone in an emergency, but Applegate said having one readily available for public use should save time and help travelers who need help.

"A lot of people are not real familiar with the area, so if it's late at night and there's obviously no one around, that box is there," Applegate said.

He said Blackfoot Telecommunications got the HVFD the phone box for free and gave them a good discount on the connection. Applegate and his wife Katie, who are the new owners of the Copper Queen Saloon, paid for the phone itself.

Both Applegate and Helmville Fire Chief Ty Daniels routinely check the 911 line to make sure it's operational. Applegate said he hopes the call box is something that never actually has to be used, but in the event of a real emergency, it's there as a tool.

"For around here, not having full coverage cell service...strangers passing through who saw a wreck a mile up the road. I think that would be darn handy," said Daniels.

Applegate said the Fire department also installed a landline and Wi-Fi in their new fire hall at his urging. He said it allows them more options for classes and training, as well as a way to contact dispatch without tying up their radios, in the event something needed clarification.

"Communications are our most crucial thing in a small valley. I think it was really important," he said.

The phone lines mean money coming out of the small fire district's budget, but Applegate said he just spoke his peace and found there was support for the idea.

The call box is currently marked with a reflective red sign above it, but Applegate would like to put up road signs pointing the way to the box. Daniels said they should also install a light to help make it more noticeable.

Finding the new emergency phone may also get easier as the HVFD continues to upgrade the new fire hall on Helmville's main street. Formerly a shop building for Eldon Voss, the fire department acquired it a little over a year ago and Daniels said it's still "a work in progress.