E911 group deadlocks on dispatch plan BY LAUREL BLACK lblack@paducahsun City and county officials split down the middle Tuesday on a vote regarding whether dispatch services should be consolidated and offered through the Kentucky State Police. An executive subcommittee of the Paducah-McCracken E911 Emergency Communications Services Board tied 3-3 when voting on whether to recommend that the full E911 board accept the state polices proposal to provide dispatch services for the city and county. The subcommittee went over the finer, more technical points of the proposal during the 1 1/2-hour-long meeting, discussing everything from outdoor warning sirens to the capacity of KSP Post 1s 40-foot tower. In the end, those opposed to the proposal said that the months-long discussions have only raised more questions about potential unexpected costs and the quality of service available if dispatch services consolidate. Weve spent a huge amount of time on this project ... and the question mark is bigger than it ever has been in my mind, said Paducah Police Chief Brandon Barnhill. He then motioned for the executive subcommittee to not recommend that the full board accept the KSPs proposal. Board chairman and Paducah Fire Chief Steve Kyle and West McCracken Fire District Chief Donald Elrod joined him in that vote. I dont think we have enough information to make an informed decision, Elrod said, and I dont want to drag that out for everybody else. I just want to vote and move on. But right now, I cant vote for (recommending the proposal), because they just wont answer my question, Elrod said of the state police. He said during the meeting that he had written a sample protocol for the KSP to review, but received no response from the agency. A representative of the state police was not available for comment Tuesday. McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden, McCracken County Emergency Management Director Jerome Mansfield and County Commissioner Jerry Beyer voted in favor of recommending the proposal. I feel that the full board needed the opportunity to review the proposal, and I believe that the county commission and city commission should have the ability to review the proposal, because there is a substantial cost savings associated with (it), Hayden said. He added the talk of upgrades to the current dispatch system has muddied the waters of the discussion about partnering with the KSP. An estimate from Motorola indicates that upgrades to the outdated Paducah-McCracken dispatch equipment would cost about $2.9 million, but this is a separate issue. Board members agreed that their system needs to be updated regardless of their decision to consolidate dispatch services. KSP has estimated the minimum startup cost for consolidation at $1.25 million if the board opts to upgrade. The estimate for the annual cost of the KSP contract stands at $686,000. That, Hayden believes, is the number to look at, as Paducah-McCracken County E911 services currently cost $1.6 million to operate. In government, we constantly look for ways to save money, and its not very often that you find the opportunity to save this kind of money yearly, Hayden said. The subcommittee members acknowledged that this was only the first of at least three steps in coming to a decision regarding dispatch services. The full board will have to consider the matter, in light of the subcommittees mixed recommendations, and then the city and county commissions will make the final decision. Discussion of contracting with the state police began in late spring, and the McCracken Fiscal Court filed paperwork in June seeking a cost estimate for the state police. A local decline in landline usage has led to a lack of money to maintain the current dispatch system, and the city and county governments are seeking alternative funding sources. Subcommittee members said they were on the same page about the importance of providing the best service to the community - they simply disagreed about how to do it. I believe everybody in here has a good conscience and wants to do whats right, Elrod said. And I respect that, and I always will. We will agree to disagree and thats the end of it. The full E911 board will likely meet on the third Thursday in January. Contact Laurel Black, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8641, or follow @LaurelFBlack on Twitter.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:45:00 +0000
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