By Patrick Anderson
Staff Writer
June 11, 2009 05:55 am Momentum is slowly building toward Gloucester's entry into a proposed regional emergency dispatch center in Middleton. Officials from the Essex County Sheriff's office and the regional board working on the 911 center plan said yesterday that, if Gloucester's government decided to join the project, there would be room for the city among the 13 communities currently signed on to it. Topsfield Fire Chief Ronald Giovannacci, co-chair of the project's advisory committee, said yesterday that there would "absolutely" be a place for Gloucester if it agreed to join. "It is a program of inclusion," Giovannacci said. Paul Fleming Jr., spokesman for Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins, said yesterday that, as far as he knows, there is nothing that would keep Gloucester out of the regional group. Representatives from the sheriff's office have agreed to brief City Council on the regional emergency dispatch plan at a meeting at City Hall July 14. The assurances address some lingering doubt among city officials that Gloucester would be welcomed in the regional dispatch after bowing out the project two years ago because of concerns over start-up costs. Mayor Carolyn Kirk is now actively advancing the idea, which has also been touted by City Council President Bruce Tobey. The city's public safety chiefs, both working on an interim basis and recent appointees to the job, have yet to formally weigh in on the idea. Interim Fire Chief Phil Dench said yesterday that he has not seen enough of the proposal's details to know whether it would benefit Gloucester, but is encouraged by the concept. "I am leaning toward where I think it would be a good idea," Dench said yesterday. "But I want to see how they are going to dispatch police and fire." In 2007, Fire Chief Barry McKay recommended not joining the plan because of the up-front expense. At that time 11 other communities, including Essex and Manchester, signed on to the plan. Interim Police Chief Michael Lane said last week that his first impression was that the time was not right for Gloucester to join the regional dispatch — but like Dench, he had not had the opportunity to study the issue. Lane took over as interim chief three weeks ago. Under current plans, the dispatch center would be built at the site of the Essex County House of Corrections in Middleton at an estimated cost of $5 million. Start-up costs are expected to be defrayed by a $4.9 million state grant awarded to the project. The center will have 12 dispatchers on duty using new radio and communications equipment, as well as the latest in digital mapping. The idea is for communities to save money by not having to dedicate as many employees to fielding calls and eliminating the cost of maintaining and upgrading aging communications systems. In Gloucester, 911 calls from local land-line phones are received at the police headquarters, where three officers staff the dispatch center at all times. The Fire Department only receives emergency calls after they are forwarded from police. Current estimates are for the center to bill its member communities $16.26 for every resident, which for Gloucester would mean an annual assessment of around $490,000. Kirk has been pursuing the regional 911 plan for much of her first term in office. In late April, the mayor sent a letter to Cousins to "formally request that we be included in the future planning or expansion" of the regional dispatch center. Kirk's letter cited a desire to save money in a period of significant budget cutting as a motivation for rationalization. Then, two weeks ago, Kirk joined leaders from 15 other communities signing a letter to the secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety in support of the plan, and condemning unnamed special interests whose "parochialism and self interest have been the impediment to regionalism in Massachusetts for far too long." Kirk yesterday said the letter responded to the active opposition of Danvers Selectman Keith Lucy to the dispatch center plan. In addition to 11 of the original signatory communities, the letter is signed by the mayors of Salem, Peabody, Amesbury, and Gloucester and the town manager of Saugus. The letter was not signed by any officials from Danvers or North Andover, both original members of the regional group. Dench said yesterday that he sees potential benefit in the regional 911 plan having dedicated, professional dispatchers handling emergency calls instead of firefighters whose expertise is putting out fires. In any call center plan, Dench said he would like to know what steps will be taken to make sure the regional staff are familiar enough with the city to know instantly where to respond to and from where to direct resources. For any rationalization to go forward, the city would likely need to negotiate the change with the police union. Kirk said yesterday that the next step in the process would be for both public safety chiefs to study the plan and how it would work from an operational standpoint for the city. Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com
—
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.