Proposed dispatch system would cut costs, jobs

The Franklin County Sheriff's Department paid the Vermont State Police $22,400 a year for after-hours dispatching services, while the Orleans County Sheriffs paid only a fraction of that for the same service.

Meanwhile, the sheriffs departments in nearby Grand Isle and Caledonia counties weren't billed for the same service as provided to Franklin and Orleans counties.

The wide range of charges — from zero in Grand Isle to $1,720 in Orleans to $22,400 in Franklin — surfaced as the Vermont Department of Public Safety and the state police move toward shutting down two major dispatching centers in the Northeast Kingdom and southern Vermont and laying off about three dozen public safety employees.

The plan is coming under fire by a range of local police agencies with the loudest voice rising out of the Rutland area.

The new plan is to close two emergency dispatch centers known as Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPS). One is in Derby, which serves Caledonia, Essex, Orleans counties and part of Orange county, and the second center is in Rutland, which serves Addison, Bennington and Rutland counties. Rutland also fields 911 calls from cellphones in New York state.

The two closings would send all 911 emergency calls and routine phone calls to the two remaining emergency dispatch centers in Williston and Rockingham, Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn said.

The closings are designed to save $1.7 million, Flynn said. He said there would be a net loss of 14 jobs due to new hires needed at Williston and Rockingham for the extra work. Rutland would lose 19 permanent jobs, while Derby would lose 17, Flynn said.

The Vermont State Police did not bill more than 130 other public safety agencies, according to a report obtained by the Burlington Free Press. The eight agencies which did pay brought in $62,390 for the state. Some contracts were for 24-hour coverage, while some were for nights, weekends or any time their office was uncovered.

The November 2013 state police report said they were providing free dispatching to about 50 fire departments, 25 rescue squads, 29 municipal police departments and 25 towns that use constables to patrol their communities.

State police also offer free radio service to a few other county sheriff departments, and several state agencies, including the Motor Vehicle Department and Liquor Control.

The state police report states the Vermont Fish and Wildlife does pay for some dispatching services, but it did not include a dollar amount.

Flynn said the wide disparity in the dispatching predates his arrival as public safety commissioner. He said he has been told that some police, fire and rescue agencies had paid in the past, but at some point several just stopped paying the state.

"They just sort of called and said 'we are not paying,'" Flynn said.

The legislature has directed Flynn to come up with a more equitable fee schedule by next year.

Several potential impacted dispatchers declined to speak about the proposed shutdowns and loss of jobs for fear of retaliation.

Flynn said there would be no retaliation.

Flynn did say he does not expect any dispatchers in Derby or Rutland to transfer to Williston or Rockingham. When state police cut from 12 to four offices, some dispatchers kept jobs by commuting.

Push back across Vermont

Legislative and municipal leaders, public safety officials and others in the impacted areas were disappointed by the planned shutdowns. They have concerns about the safety for responding police, fire, rescue members and for the general public.

Flynn is trying to dispel those beliefs by saying safety will remain the same.

"I don't think it is a bad decision at all because it is not going to effect the public," said Flynn said who was appointed by Gov. Peter Shumlin in January 2011. "I'm surprised this was not done by previous commissioners or command staff."

The Vermont Police Chiefs and Sheriffs group had invited Flynn to a meeting Thursday to discuss this and a couple of other related topics, but he was unavailable. The chiefs and sheriffs hope to reschedule it, according to the presidents of both groups, Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel and Lamoille Sheriff Roger Marcoux.

Marcoux and Merkel said the groups also are concerned about efforts to do away with the current E-911 oversight board, which have provided funds for the PSAPs. There also is concern about proposed legislation to create a "super" public safety agency under Flynn by adding to various agencies, including the enforcement arms of the Motor Vehicle Department and Vermont Liquor Control.

The Rutland County legislative delegation is among those fighting the move and the Rutland City Board of Alderman passed two resolutions unanimously on Feb. 2 condemning the proposal.

The resolutions note concerns for responder safety and question the projected $1.7 million in savings.

Also at issues are jobs. Rutland Alderman Ed Larson said the Rutland area has recently been hit with the loss of more than 300 jobs, including 175 at Rutland Plywood.

No impact on radio service

Commissioner Flynn believes there will be no radio difference or interference when the switch is made.

He said with new radio consoles and microwaves, the radio transmissions from Williston to the Northeast Kingdom will be just as clear as if they came from the current answering point in Derby.

"We will still use mountain top structures and the microwave for messages," Flynn said.

The state police has been under the scrutiny of the Vermont Labor Department because of its substandard radio system.

The Vermont Labor Department had initially planned to fine the state police $6,300 after an investigation showed troopers in Lamoille County and elsewhere in the state were using substandard radio.

The issue came to a head after a veteran state trooper said he was forced to fatally shoot a burglary suspect in the woods of Cambridge in April 2012.

The state police dispatcher in Williston and another trooper in the woods near the shooting both reported they could not reach him on the radio.

RELATED:Radio system said to put troopers at risk

The Labor Department, which eventually waived the fine, ordered the State Police to instruct all employees to compile a list of dead spots through Vermont that radios can not be heard or transmit from. State police also agreed to train all troopers on how to use their radio, according to the signed agreement.

State police were asked last week for the list of the dead spots reported by troopers and dispatchers, but had not released it as of Monday afternoon.

Bills from other departments

Vermont's other four E911 emergency dispatch centers use different formulas to charge the police, fire and rescue units for dispatching.

Those dispatch centers are maintained by the St. Albans, Shelburne and Hartford police departments and the Lamoille County Sheriffs Department.

Vermont State Police lost the $22,400 contract with the Franklin County Sheriffs Department in October, but it was not due to price.

Sheriff Robert Norris said he transferred dispatching to the Lamoille County Sheriffs because his office and most public safety agencies have shifted to a less expensive computer system known as Valcour.

The state police are still operating the Spillman system, he said. Norris said Valcour is about half as much for his office.

"Dispatching is the heart of a department, and patrol is the backbone," Norris said.

The State Police approached the Vermont Motor Vehicle Department about 10 years ago about paying for dispatching services, but it was nipped quickly, said Glen Button, director of law enforcement for DMV.

He said the DMV pointed out that the Vermont Transportation Agency already sends millions of dollars each year to the state police. That quickly ended the discussion, Button said.

State police are expected to receive almost $23 million from the transportation agency in the upcoming budget, Button said.

Flynn said some fire departments live off a coin drops and community chicken suppers and are unable to afford large dispatching expense.

"We have to find something that is fair and equitable," said Flynn about implementing a fee schedule for police, fire and rescue across Vermont.

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Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.