Smithfield, neighbors aim for regional fire, police dispatch

By JANET KERLIN, Breeze Correspondent

SMITHFIELD - Five towns are planning to combine police and fire dispatching at a central location to save money and handle emergency communications over a wider area, leaders said.

The towns of North Providence, Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston and Cumberland are discussing the plans, with North Smithfield showing interest.

The towns could dispatch emergency services within the next year, North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi said, and Lincoln Town Administrator Joe Almond described the proposal as serious.

Town leaders formed a coalition 18 months ago to look for savings in regionalization. Last week, the coalition announced group savings in health insurance claims administration. They are also pursuing a mayoral academy, approved last week by the General Assembly.

The towns intend to eliminate duplication of personnel and equipment, pursuing what Almond called "layers and layers of efficiencies and savings."

"Once it becomes a reality, within three years (North Providence) could save a quarter of a million dollars per year," Lombardi told The Breeze. Almond said he did not have an estimate of savings.

The municipalities are not planning layoffs, Lombardi and Almond said.

Municipalities would save money through attrition and sharing personnel at a central location on shared equipment, the town leaders said. Annual repair contracts would be eliminated.

Towns typically staff their communications 24 hours a day with at least one dispatcher for the police department and one dispatcher for the fire department. North Providence employs 14 dispatchers and Lincoln employs eight to staff those shifts.

During absences and vacations, the shifts are filled in with police officers and firefighters, who earn higher wages than civilian dispatchers. A savings would result, officials say, by using currently employed civilian dispatchers to staff the center.

The towns have not yet decided on a site.

"It appears we would get federal money," Lombardi said.

The towns would participate in a $300,000 state-of-the art facility, Lombardi said.

Officials say the regional dispatching would become safer, allowing communication among many emergency departments across the state.

Increased safety would come from having more than one dispatcher handling both police and fire calls during a major fire or other incident, Lombardi said. Five or six dispatchers could be working at once, said Lombardi, a former firefighter.

The police and firefighters used for dispatching would be freed up, said Almond, a former police officer.

Technology and equipment exists in Rhode Island to enable dispatching and communications across the state, Almond said.

The Rhode Island Statewide Communications Network is being gradually installed across the state, according to Dave Smith, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency executive director.

The system is being implemented with federal Homeland Security Department money.

The towns in the Blackstone Valley could be the first in Rhode Island to use the state-of-the art communications across town borders.

"It's a great concept," Smith told The Breeze on Friday, June 20. "If the RISCONN can support the community services we'll make every effort to try to do that."

Almond said he expects some resistance from town officials who enjoy autonomy, and from personnel in collective bargaining agreements.

"Those are what usually block regional issues," Almond said.

Regionalization could also be applied to other areas of public safety, such as investigations of accidents and crime scenes, which is done in other states.

"We're just way too territorial and the overlap is expensive," Almond said.

Several Cape Cod towns in the Yarmouth area share dispatching, and local officials expect to visit those communities.