Selectmen Hear Cost-Saving Options Of Regionalized Emergency Dispatching

By John Voket

Newtown’s Emergency Communications Director Maureen Will unveiled a report to the Board of Selectmen February 7 that recommended the town enter into a relationship with a regional emergency dispatch consortium in the short-run, and proposed the town explore the possibility of creating a regional dispatch facility here that would initially serve Newtown, Bethel, and Brookfield.

Ms Will said similar regional programs in other states have successfully assimilated all law enforcement, ambulance, and fire communications into large-scale call centers, and that in Connecticut, the movement has caught on particularly with fire and emergency medical communications.

The initiative was also described as a cost-saving and even a revenue-generating idea, because the state would pay Newtown $250,000 to offset the cost of assigning its emergency dispatching to a regional center. The move would also effectively cut Newtown’s current budget for the services by 80 percent — saving more than $600,000 annually, according to Ms Will.

Following the meeting, First Selectman Pat Llodra expressed enthusiasm for the idea, saying the concept of regionalizing communications/dispatch is one that “Maureen and I have been exploring for many months.”

“Our first decision was nearly a year ago in pursuing a grant with Bethel and Brookfield to research the possibility of our tri-town area regionalizing as a standalone or going with an established region, such as Northwest Communications,” Mrs Llodra said. “Ultimately we were successful in acquiring the grant, the results of which were shared with [selectmen] last Monday. As you heard, there is potential for significant cost savings if the towns join a larger region, such as [the Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communications Center, Inc].”

The first selectman added that smaller savings would likely result if the three towns join together, but the difference between today’s cost and potential savings is insignificant unless more towns commit to joining a locally based emergency dispatch consortium.

During the meeting, Mrs Llodra told Selectmen Will Rodgers and William Furrier that the next step is for local emergency representatives from ambulance, fire, and police to meet to air their concerns and questions. Mrs Llodra said that she wants to move carefully on this proposal, particularly regarding police dispatching, to ensure the safety and security of residents is never compromised or threatened.

“We have to be certain, first and foremost, that any change in dispatch process does not in any way jeopardize the safety of Newtown residents,” Ms Llodra said. “Our local emergency providers have the best view of that dispatch work and I would need their confidence in a regional effort in order to make such a recommendation.”

While initial discussion during the meeting placed a long-view of several years on possibly establishing a regional dispatch center in Newtown, Mrs Llodra said the timeline for implementation could be expedited if more potential partners, particularly larger municipalities, came to the table ready and willing to join the regionalization effort.

“I’d like to see the facility in Newtown,” Ms Will told the selectmen, adding that Newtown offers an optimal location with high elevations for towers and ease of access via Interstate 84. And she said if Newtown was to strike first in establishing such a center, “there is no limit on how many towns can join.”

During her discussion with selectmen, Ms Will said there are currently 107 public safety answering points (PSAPs) serving 169 municipalities in Connecticut. According to her report, several regional municipal councils have conducted numerous surveys and studies on the effectiveness and cost savings for regionalizing PSAPs, and in virtually every study, a recommendation to regionalize was the result.

While large regional dispatch centers are common in many states, some serving counties that may be nearly as large as Connecticut, Ms Will reported that Connecticut is at the forefront in establishing a statewide fiber-optic communication network that would facilitate the regionalization of dispatch and PSAP services.

Concerns

Ms Will said that a couple of initial concerns expressed locally, and shared by other towns regarding police services, involved the eventuality of sometimes having a “dark” police headquarters with all staff out on the road, and no personnel on site to respond to any walk-in concerns or emergencies. Additional concerns involve police departments where dispatchers are also charged with monitoring incarcerated individuals in holding cells on site.

In Newtown, local dispatchers do not handle that responsibility.

If established, Ms Will estimated the cost to operate a regional dispatch center in Newtown serving the three municipalities would be $2,676,688 annually including staff, training, equipment, uniforms, phones, and radio systems. Currently it costs $1,078,444 for Newtown’s operation.

If established under the current state criteria for reimbursements, such a call center would receive $976,393 in its first year from the state, before any of the involved municipalities began factoring their individual contributions.

In recommending an initial move toward joining the already established Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communications Center (NWCPSCC), Ms Will noted the 80 percent cost savings to Newtown, an ease of transition because that center already has established multijurisdictional protocols and governance established, and positioning Newtown for an easier transition in the event of a move to establish a regional dispatch center here serving at least three neighboring communities.

Ms Will also referenced the minimal cost advantages of establishing that three-town center in Newtown, but said its establishment could bode well for attracting other towns in the region to join.

Selectman Rodgers said that if such a facility was proposed, the next most logical invitation should be extended to neighboring Southbury.

Other advantages of regionalizing include:

*Improved efficiency

*Improved mutual aid and interoperability

*Increased staffing levels for peak load times and/or large-scale events

*Improved or increased supervision and training

*Reduction in overtime expenses

*Increased funding from state and federal agencies

*Improved working relationships with regional emergency services

Ms Will also stated in her report that regionalization also allows for more opportunities for staff advancement, and an improved budget development process that could achieve even more savings through economies of scale for purchasing.

Currently, Ms Will said if the town does not choose to pursue either participation in the existing NWCPSCC, or establishing its own regional center, the town could choose to do nothing and leave the existing system as is.