New Pay Phone Installed In Snohomish Co. Could Save Lives

GRANITE FALLS, WA - Laugh if you want, but Snohomish County officials are touting the recent installation of a new pay phone at a remote ranger station. The pay phone will reside at the Verlot Ranger Station a tiny hamlet at the edge of the Cascades that lacks cell service.

In 2017, the local telecommunications provider, Frontier, notified local officials that it would remove the Verlot pay phone. But that pay phone was a lifeline for many because it was the closest phone to the Big Four Ice Caves and other wilderness spots.

The price of a new pay phone? About $1,000, plus another $500 per year for upkeep.

Snohomish County and the U.S. Forest Service teamed up to keep the phone at Verlot. Calling 911 and 1-800 numbers will be free. Local residents can use coins or a phone card to make regular calls.

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