We heard from a dispatcher in upstate New York asking if it was legal for a town to do away with its dispatchers. The agency was planning to have the 911 calls go directly to the officers on the beat. For a small town with few calls and fewer officers, this can be an attractive solution. As a rule of thumb, it will cost a town about $125,000 a year to staff a comm center, and over a million dollars in equipment. (Yes, you can lease-purchase equipment for $100,000+ a year.) Is this reasonable when you have a population of 5,000 (more or less)? However, 911 calls need to be answered without delay, and such delays can occur when the officer is otherwise engaged. Emergency calls can relate to crimes in progress, non-breathing medical conditions, and fires. These calls require the full attention of the person handing the call, together with training in what questions to ask. And 911 calls should be recorded; which is possible but not likely when answered in the field. Our NY dispatcher has informed me that the matter has been resolved by the town voting in a new mayor and council member. Dispatchers saved.
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