KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For years, 911 wait times in Kansas City have been a huge concern. The average wait time in the city in August was 51 seconds. Mayor and Board of Police Commissioner (BOPC) Quinton Lucas' resolution to try having the city create a unified 911 system between its fire department and police advanced out of the Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, Councilman Darrell Curls actually had an amendment added, directing City Manager Brian Platt to propose to the Board of Police Commissioners, a unified 911 system for the Kansas City Police Department and the Kansas City Fire Department within 45 days. Prior to Tuesday, Lucas didn't have a timeframe on the measure. ‘The best of the best’: KCFD fire chief remembers fallen firefighter "I just feel that this is such an important issue, this problem that we ought to try to put as much as possible some type of time frame," Curls said to his fellow committee members. "So that we have some type of idea of what we're dealing with and how we may be able to address it as quickly or sooner rather than later." FOX4 wasn't able to interview KCPD Chief Stacey Graves or any of the other four commissioners Tuesday. KCPD Captain Jake Becchina said the biggest challenge the department faces combating long 911 wait times is staffing. "We currently have the fewest number of vacancies we've had in months, and several people are in the hiring/training pipeline at this time," he said in a statement to FOX4 Tuesday. KCPD currently has 95 call takers. There are 26 vacancies in that part of the department, but 12 people are in training. "I think they should be," Lucas said when asked if his fellow commissioners are on board with what he's trying to do. "They need to be for a few reasons. One, if our goal is very simple, public safety in our community, then you have to have as a foundation that 911 works." The mayor's plan would require some coordination from KCFD too. The way things work currently, a 911 call in the city first goes to KCPD. "Whether that be an automated system or still a manned system for the initial call, the issues we run into with an automated system where it's 'one for police, two for fire,' you'll get redundancy," KCFD Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins said in an interview with FOX4 Tuesday. "Someone will call needing police but maybe they don't get through as fast as they want, so they press two to come to us." Later Tuesday afternoon, KCFD Chief Ross Grundyson released a statement of his own. KC rescue crews save window washer stuck on 23rd floor "The Kansas City Fire Department is aware of and supports the resolution passed by the City Council today authorizing the City Manager to work with both the Kansas City Fire Department and Kansas City Police Department to find a solution to the 911 wait times," Chief Grundyson said. "The Kansas City Fire Department is committed to ensuring the citizens of Kansas City receive the best possible service and will assist the City Manager and KCPD in any way necessary." The unified 911 system could be brought up at the next BOPC meeting. It's scheduled for Tuesday, October 29. Lucas' resolution needs the support of at least two other commissioners.