ELIZABETHTOWN -- The Essex County Office of Emergency Services will try one more time to get approval for dedicated lines from the 911 center to Schroon Lake.

Nothing happened the first two times because some members of the County Board of Supervisors thought the expense was too high or some charges weren't spelled out.

Now the charges have been reduced by about $2,000 and will be presented again at Monday's County Public Safety Committee meeting in Elizabethtown.

Originally, two dedicated telephone lines were to be installed at a cost of $10,700 to do emergency paging for Schroon Lake fire and ambulance.

County Emergency Services Director Raymond Thatcher said he's now talked with Wells Communications of Plattsburgh and went to Schroon Lake to look at the equipment.

Thatcher said he now believes one phone line could be used instead of two. Instead of the second line for backup, they'll put Schroon Lake volunteers on standby if the main line fails, he said.

The line is needed to tie Schroon Lake into the county radio system at the 911 center in Lewis.

It will cost $2,800 a year to lease the line and $770 to install it, for a total of $8,700.

Thatcher also recommended that one of two special lines for Long Lake fire and ambulance in Hamilton County be discontinued to save money. Essex County Enhanced 911 answers emergency calls for Long Lake.

Long Lake representatives haven't signed a contract yet for the dispatch service, and County Attorney Daniel Manning III said he's negotiating a price with them.

Supervisor Randy Preston (I-Wilmington) said he spoke with Edward J. Kehn of Wells Communications and believes the dedicated lines are not needed for Schroon Lake.

"I was under the understanding we did not need phone lines," Preston said.

He said a new procedure could simply be used by 911 dispatchers, but there is "high probability of an error."

The procedure involves activating VHF high-band Schroon Lake radio paging equipment using a VHF low-band input channel.

The issue will be discussed at Monday's committee session, he said.