Kent county combines dispatch centers

[bergg]

Panel endorses plan to consolidate emergency dispatching call centers from five to two
By Rick Wilson | The Grand Rapids Press
May 18, 2010, 8:31PM
GRAND RAPIDS -- Kent County is edging closer to a long-awaited plan to consolidate emergency dispatching services from five call centers to two.

A panel recommended Tuesday that the full County Commission approve contracts next week to provide dispatching services to Grandville, Kentwood, Lowell and Walker from a single call center. The move is the last significant legal hurdle for consolidating the service, although actual implantation of the plan is still some months away.

<snip>


(Mod Edit: please do not post full news reports/web articles as this violates their copyright. Summarize and link it please)

 

[jack3726]

Bergg, let us know what you hear on any new freqs etc. I don't believe they can convert to MPSCS as of yet. It will be interesting to see if walker keeps what they have, wyoming etc.

 

[bergg]

I will post anything more that comes up.

 

[bergg]

Kent County to create central emergency dispatch system; Wyoming, Walker call centers to close
By The Grand Rapids Press
May 27, 2010, 6:26PM
GRAND RAPIDS -- A decades-old plan to consolidate emergency dispatching services won final approval Thursday from the Kent County Commission.

The commission voted 19-0 to approve contracts with the cities of Grandville, Kentwood, Lowell and Walker so the county can begin providing dispatching services to them from a single call center next year. The move reduces the number of dispatching centers to two: one at the Grand Rapids Police Department and another at the Kent County Sheriff's Department.

Call centers in Wyoming and Walker will close and the state police post in Rockford will stop dispatching for county agencies. Also Thursday, the commission approved the creation of eight dispatcher positions to handle the added volume at the expanded county call center.

Capt. Michelle Young, of the sheriff's department, has been overseeing the consolidation and said many of the new positions probably will be filled by dispatchers from centers that are being closed.

Call center consolidation in the county started in March, but this latest vote creates a true central dispatch system.

At that time, officials said the consolidation should bring a quicker response for 911 callers from police, fire and ambulance units and stop the complications of repeating a story multiple times.

 

[BT202]

Just makes sense....

Lapeer County has had a central dispatch for years, handling MSP, LCSD, and Lapeer City. This is the wave of the future.