By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—Henry County and City of Paris officials agreed today to move forward with a proposed Central Dispatch.
Meeting in the 911 Building in downtown Paris, officials included Henry County Mayor Brent Greer, Paris Mayor Carlton Gerrell, City Manager Kim Foster, Sheriff Monte Belew and Chief Deputy Damon Lowe, Paris Police Chief Chuck Elizondo, Fire Chief Michael Williams, EMS Director Twila Rose, along with 911 Director Mark Archer and 911 Board Chair John Etheridge.
As reported at the last 911 meeting, Elizondo said a subcommittee has visited Central Dispatch facilities in Dickson Co. and Savannah to begin looking into the possibility of a local Central Dispatch.
“We felt the time is good now to look into this and we felt it would benefit the community,” he said, noting more trips are planned.
Foster said the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) and County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS) will be studying the local situation and make a recommendation for the city and county.
Foster said the city of Paris has been “taking the brunt of the financial situation” for the local dispatch program “and if we do have a Central Dispatch, we wouldn’t want it to stay that way in the future.” She said much would need to be decided if the city and county dispatch programs would combine, noting that the city and county have different benefit packages for employees. A location for the new dispatch would have to be decided, as well as how the costs would be divided.
Belew said he sees a centralized dispatch as “absolutely a benefit to the community. It will steamline our dispatch systems and streamline our costs and training, too.” He noted that none of the dispatchers currently working for either the city or the county would be laid off.
After lengthy discussion, officials sitting around the table agreed that they would need the recommendations from MTAS and CTAS before proceeding, but that they agreed in principle to the concept.
Etheridge noted that the 911 board itself has not taken a stand on the proposal as yet. “This is something we want to look at carefully,” he said.
Foster said, “Is it better for the community? Probably yes, but who is going to pay for it?” She said the most ideal situation would be to create a whole new entity “and everyone contribute to it, like we do now.”
Greer agreed, noting, “Right now, everything is on the table.”
Everyone appeared to agree that a separate entity most probably would have to be created to operate the Central Dispatch.
The MTAS and CTAS reports are due by November 5 and officials said they will provide them with information on the city and county dispatch operations so that they can make a recommendation on how to proceed.
Photo: County Mayor Brent Greer, right, makes a point during Tuesday’s meeting. (Shannon McFarlin photo).
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