OOB still examining moving dispatch services to Scarborough
OOB still examining moving dispatch services to Scarborough
By Brandi Neal
Staff writer
Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor Robin Dayton said the “human factor” is more important than saving $100,000 as the town grapples with the decision about whether or not to keep their dispatch local. Police Chief Dana Kelley estimated that it would cost around $366,000 per year to have Scarborough handle the town’s dispatch as well as a one-time fee of $83,000. The town currently spends $470,000 on dispatch annually.
“I’m confident in saying that the savings are $100,000,” Dayton said. “That doesn’t take into account the human factor.”
Though implementation of the state mandate that will reduce the state’s public safety answering points or PSAPs from 48 to 24 is less than 10 months away, Old Orchard Beach has yet to make a decision about whether or not to keep dispatch in town or contract it out to neighboring Scarborough and whether or not Scarborough should be the town’s PSAP, though they appear to be the most likely candidate.
Old Orchard Beach dispatchers spoke out during a town council workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in which town councilors (Shawn O’Neill was absent), along with Town Manager Jim Thomas, Fire Chief John Glass and Kelley discussed whether or not replace or rehab the public safety building on Saco Avenue and whether or not to keep dispatch local.
Dayton recognized that uncertainty about the future was wreaking havoc with employee relations in the department, causing anxiety and confusion. Kelley said the town’s dispatch equipment is outdated and in need of fairly constant repair. He said in the near future no replacement parts would be available for the outdated equipment.
“At some point we’ll run into a situation where it can’t be fixed,” he said.
Kelley said costs of replacing the equipment would run between $145,000 and $170,000 and that the dispatch room would have to be rewired and brought up to code. He said one of the reasons that the equipment hasn’t been replaced yet is that fixing or replacing the building and getting new equipment go hand in hand.
“It didn’t seem to make sense to us to put $150,000 in equipment in an inadequate space,” he said.
Sasha Beaulieu, who has been a dispatcher in Old Orchard Beach for the past five years, said she wants to continue to work in the town she was raised in.
“I make $15 an hour, I could go to Saco or Scarborough and make $20, (but) I grew up here, I like the people here, I like working in the town that I grew up in,” she said.
Dayton said Old Orchard Beach dispatchers, who are some of the lowest paid in the area, would not be guaranteed jobs or even interviews in Scarborough.
“The dispatch staff has been going through a very difficult time while we’re trying to make this decision,” said Dayton. “I’m not convinced that saving $100,000 a year is worth doing that to our staff. I’m prepared to say tonight that I’m in favor of keeping dispatch.”
Dispatcher Denise Kinney asked whether it was worth one percent of the town’s budget to transfer services.
“If we as a town are proud of who we are we have to take into consideration those (human) factors,” she said.
Council Chairman Joe Kline said a report from Kelley and Glass states that consolidation makes sense. Kelley said saving the money would make a difference, citing times when he had to argue for $50 in a budget.
“One hundred thousand dollars has been a lot of money in my budget in the past,” said Kelley, adding that he wasn’t saying that the dispatchers were not quality people but that his job as an administrator was to determine the most cost effective solution.
Others worried about what removing dispatch from town would mean for people that walked into the building in need of assistance. If the patrol officers were out on a call, a victim of a crime would be left without a human being to talk to.
“Your talking about an empty room with a phone in it,” said former Town Manager Jerome Plant. “It’s a lousy service you’re buying for an alleged $100,000.”
Resident Pat Holland became emotional when she spoke in favor of keeping dispatch in town. Holland said she has called 911 several times for her mother, who recently passed away, during the past three years.
“Whatever decision is made, I’m quite happy with what we have,” Holland said.
Holland said with more and more senior citizens moving to the community, having local dispatchers who know the area is key.
“I want to be comfortable that (when I call) I’m going to get a response,” she said. “I don’t want to lose what we do have.”
While some councilors worried that splitting up the services could leave room for more errors and dropped calls, dispatchers said more than 60 percent of 911 calls come from cell phones and are automatically rerouted to the state police in Gray.
Scarborough Police Chief Robert Moulton said if Old Orchard Beach is looking for someplace to send dispatch, Scarborough is happy to accommodate them. He said five new dispatchers would be hired and they would have to go through the regular application and interview process and former Old Orchard Beach dispatchers would not be given special treatment. Moulton added that Old Orchard Beach would be responsible for purchasing a fourth console to support the additional dispatchers.
Councilor Roxanne Frenette said there is no easy answer to the questions at hand.
“I’m sorry anybody came out here tonight thinking there was going to be an easy answer,” she said. “I don’t know what the answer is.”
Frenette said the decision for a new public safety building and where to locate dispatch services could ultimately be put to a referendum vote since the council is not authorized to make decisions that involve spending more than $500,000, though she said a short-term solution would have to be in place by Oct. 15.
By Brandi Neal
Staff writer
Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor Robin Dayton said the “human factor” is more important than saving $100,000 as the town grapples with the decision about whether or not to keep their dispatch local. Police Chief Dana Kelley estimated that it would cost around $366,000 per year to have Scarborough handle the town’s dispatch as well as a one-time fee of $83,000. The town currently spends $470,000 on dispatch annually.
“I’m confident in saying that the savings are $100,000,” Dayton said. “That doesn’t take into account the human factor.”
Though implementation of the state mandate that will reduce the state’s public safety answering points or PSAPs from 48 to 24 is less than 10 months away, Old Orchard Beach has yet to make a decision about whether or not to keep dispatch in town or contract it out to neighboring Scarborough and whether or not Scarborough should be the town’s PSAP, though they appear to be the most likely candidate.
Old Orchard Beach dispatchers spoke out during a town council workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in which town councilors (Shawn O’Neill was absent), along with Town Manager Jim Thomas, Fire Chief John Glass and Kelley discussed whether or not replace or rehab the public safety building on Saco Avenue and whether or not to keep dispatch local.
Dayton recognized that uncertainty about the future was wreaking havoc with employee relations in the department, causing anxiety and confusion. Kelley said the town’s dispatch equipment is outdated and in need of fairly constant repair. He said in the near future no replacement parts would be available for the outdated equipment.
“At some point we’ll run into a situation where it can’t be fixed,” he said.
Kelley said costs of replacing the equipment would run between $145,000 and $170,000 and that the dispatch room would have to be rewired and brought up to code. He said one of the reasons that the equipment hasn’t been replaced yet is that fixing or replacing the building and getting new equipment go hand in hand.
“It didn’t seem to make sense to us to put $150,000 in equipment in an inadequate space,” he said.
Sasha Beaulieu, who has been a dispatcher in Old Orchard Beach for the past five years, said she wants to continue to work in the town she was raised in.
“I make $15 an hour, I could go to Saco or Scarborough and make $20, (but) I grew up here, I like the people here, I like working in the town that I grew up in,” she said.
Dayton said Old Orchard Beach dispatchers, who are some of the lowest paid in the area, would not be guaranteed jobs or even interviews in Scarborough.
“The dispatch staff has been going through a very difficult time while we’re trying to make this decision,” said Dayton. “I’m not convinced that saving $100,000 a year is worth doing that to our staff. I’m prepared to say tonight that I’m in favor of keeping dispatch.”
Dispatcher Denise Kinney asked whether it was worth one percent of the town’s budget to transfer services.
“If we as a town are proud of who we are we have to take into consideration those (human) factors,” she said.
Council Chairman Joe Kline said a report from Kelley and Glass states that consolidation makes sense. Kelley said saving the money would make a difference, citing times when he had to argue for $50 in a budget.
“One hundred thousand dollars has been a lot of money in my budget in the past,” said Kelley, adding that he wasn’t saying that the dispatchers were not quality people but that his job as an administrator was to determine the most cost effective solution.
Others worried about what removing dispatch from town would mean for people that walked into the building in need of assistance. If the patrol officers were out on a call, a victim of a crime would be left without a human being to talk to.
“Your talking about an empty room with a phone in it,” said former Town Manager Jerome Plant. “It’s a lousy service you’re buying for an alleged $100,000.”
Resident Pat Holland became emotional when she spoke in favor of keeping dispatch in town. Holland said she has called 911 several times for her mother, who recently passed away, during the past three years.
“Whatever decision is made, I’m quite happy with what we have,” Holland said.
Holland said with more and more senior citizens moving to the community, having local dispatchers who know the area is key.
“I want to be comfortable that (when I call) I’m going to get a response,” she said. “I don’t want to lose what we do have.”
While some councilors worried that splitting up the services could leave room for more errors and dropped calls, dispatchers said more than 60 percent of 911 calls come from cell phones and are automatically rerouted to the state police in Gray.
Scarborough Police Chief Robert Moulton said if Old Orchard Beach is looking for someplace to send dispatch, Scarborough is happy to accommodate them. He said five new dispatchers would be hired and they would have to go through the regular application and interview process and former Old Orchard Beach dispatchers would not be given special treatment. Moulton added that Old Orchard Beach would be responsible for purchasing a fourth console to support the additional dispatchers.
Councilor Roxanne Frenette said there is no easy answer to the questions at hand.
“I’m sorry anybody came out here tonight thinking there was going to be an easy answer,” she said. “I don’t know what the answer is.”
Frenette said the decision for a new public safety building and where to locate dispatch services could ultimately be put to a referendum vote since the council is not authorized to make decisions that involve spending more than $500,000, though she said a short-term solution would have to be in place by Oct. 15.
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