Town considers joining regional dispatch network

By Alan Pollock
The Cape Cod Chronicle 

CHATHAM, Mass. — Though voters were ready to hand the keys over to the county sheriff when it comes to fire department dispatching, selectmen are putting the brakes on the plan. In the next few months, they want to see whether a competing regional police-and-fire dispatch plan gains traction.

Last Wednesday, Chatham joined the ranks of Harwich and around a dozen other Cape towns in supporting the study of a countywide regional center for dispatching fire and police departments, under the jurisdiction of a municipally based governing board. The letter supports a state grant application to be filed in March seeking funds to develop a conceptual plan for the regional dispatch center.

The grant would expand on the work of a New Jersey based consultant, who determined that a single regional police and fire dispatch center could save nearly $6 million annually.

Chatham already appropriated nearly $150,000 to transfer its fire department dispatching to the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office communications center in Bourne, but on a split vote last week, selectmen opted not to immediately implement that draft agreement. The sheriff's office is also seeking grant funds from the same state agency to expand its dispatch center.

"I do not want to be in a hurry to outsource our dispatching to the sheriff's organization at this time because I think we have a good program coming up with the regional center," Chatham Fire Chief Michael Ambriscoe told the board. The regional dispatch proposal not only offers police dispatching — something the sheriff does not do — but it also proposes a governing structure that will give local officials more budgetary control over the operation, the chief said.

Police Chief Mark Pawlina said the sheriff was initially one of the participants in the regional dispatch proposal, but has since opted to submit his own grant proposal.

"So now he's a competitor. That's not a good situation," Pawlina said.

Ambriscoe asked the board to wait until the state acts on the grant requests, no later than July, before choosing a plan to outsource dispatching. On a 4-1 vote, selectmen agreed. Sean Summers, who cast the dissenting vote, said the sheriff provides excellent dispatching services, and any new regional dispatch center would take years to be built and put in operation.

Outsourcing fire department dispatching is expected to save Chatham money by allowing more efficient use of staff. The town currently uses firefighters to dispatch calls during most shifts.

Copyright 2013 The Cape Cod Chronicle
Distributed by Newsbank, Inc. All Rights Reserved