Town to start answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis by end of month
Town to start answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis by end of month
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
Now that Scarborough has been approved as a PSAP (public safety answering point) by the state, public safety officials in town are focusing on the addition of answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis and possible future consolidation.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved six PSAPs to be located in Cumberland County as part of an initiative to reduce the number of PSAPs statewide. Communities had a deadline of July 1 of last year to report to the state regarding how they plan to consolidate 911 answering services. Four local communities – Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and Old Orchard Beach – applied for two PSAPs. One PSAP will be located in South Portland, where 911 answering services will be performed for Cape Elizabeth and one PSAP will be located in Scarborough.
The town of Scarborough has entered into an agreement with the towns of Buxton and Hollis to answer their 911 calls. Scarborough Police Chief Robbie Moulton said he expects dispatchers in Scarborough to start answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis by the end of the month.
Officials in Old Orchard Beach previously inquired about Scarborough taking on answering the town’s 911 calls and dispatch services. While Scarborough officials have agreed to absorb 911 answering and dispatch services from Old Orchard Beach, town officials in OOB have not come to a consensus about the future of dispatch and PSAP consolidation in their town.
Moulton said getting Scarborough’s dispatch ready to take 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis is a question of “equipment and logistics.” He expected all details to be ironed out in the next few weeks.
With the approval for Scarborough and South Portland being PSAPs, the state asked the municipalities to come up with a plan for what Moulton called a “single operation” dispatch by Oct. 1 of this year. Any changes proposed by that date would not take effect until Oct. 1 of 2009.
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
Now that Scarborough has been approved as a PSAP (public safety answering point) by the state, public safety officials in town are focusing on the addition of answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis and possible future consolidation.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved six PSAPs to be located in Cumberland County as part of an initiative to reduce the number of PSAPs statewide. Communities had a deadline of July 1 of last year to report to the state regarding how they plan to consolidate 911 answering services. Four local communities – Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and Old Orchard Beach – applied for two PSAPs. One PSAP will be located in South Portland, where 911 answering services will be performed for Cape Elizabeth and one PSAP will be located in Scarborough.
The town of Scarborough has entered into an agreement with the towns of Buxton and Hollis to answer their 911 calls. Scarborough Police Chief Robbie Moulton said he expects dispatchers in Scarborough to start answering 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis by the end of the month.
Officials in Old Orchard Beach previously inquired about Scarborough taking on answering the town’s 911 calls and dispatch services. While Scarborough officials have agreed to absorb 911 answering and dispatch services from Old Orchard Beach, town officials in OOB have not come to a consensus about the future of dispatch and PSAP consolidation in their town.
Moulton said getting Scarborough’s dispatch ready to take 911 calls from Buxton and Hollis is a question of “equipment and logistics.” He expected all details to be ironed out in the next few weeks.
With the approval for Scarborough and South Portland being PSAPs, the state asked the municipalities to come up with a plan for what Moulton called a “single operation” dispatch by Oct. 1 of this year. Any changes proposed by that date would not take effect until Oct. 1 of 2009.
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