For Tyngsboro, benefits outweigh dispatch concerns
The town of Tyngsboro recently held a public meeting to discuss the possibility of joining the regional public-safety dispatch center operated by Tewksbury and Dracut.
The subject matter generally covered an analysis done by the town’s Public Safety Building Committee, which generated a two-hour discussion detailing the pros and cons of such a move.
The Public Safety Building Committee’s final report, issued last December, concluded: “A large cost associated with a new standalone police station or public safety facility is the cost of a dispatch center, which could be upwards of $2 million. The state is strongly discouraging investment in standalone dispatch centers that support one community.”
Neighboring Dracut and Tewksbury formed the Northern Middlesex Regional Emergency Communications Center three years ago. The Tewksburybased center began operating in November 2020.
Tyngsboro has had the construction of a new police station or public safety facility on its todo list of capital projects for several years. For now, that project remains on hold while the town pays for the rising costs of a new middle school under construction next to Tyngsboro High School.
The concerns and advantages raised during the meeting mirrored those voiced at similar meetings when the Tewksburydracut merger was proposed.
Deputy Police Chief Shaun Woods urged the Select Board to take more time to gather information and “make the best decision possible for the town.”
Ron Keohane, a member of the Select Board and Public Safety Building Committee, explained that the State 911 Department “has been pretty consistent over the last few years that they want to go to regional dispatch centers.”
He said regional centers will receive preference when it comes to grants and other sources of funding. And current Tyngsboro dispatchers would have the opportunity to move to the regional center without going through the normal hiring process, with salaries increasing as much as 9%.
If the town were to join NMRECC soon — by December or February at the latest — it could be included in an anticipated state grant to help with the transition.
At the meeting, some dispatchers expressed their reluctance about a physical move to the Tewksbury center.
And for other speakers, moving dispatch operations from Tyngsboro to Tewksbury brought up concerns about losing the personal touch and local knowledge.
But Tyngsboro officials and residents should understand the advantages associated with joining this regional dispatch center.
Located at 978 Whipple Road in Tewksbury, the Northern Middlesex Regional Emergency Communication Center features state-of-the-art equipment, including an 180-foot tall receiving tower, a 32-seat training room and an expanded dispatch center, where the latest monitors handle cellular and landline 911 calls for both communities’ police and fire departments.
In addition to the new equipment, the $4.35 million project — funded by the state via 911 Development grants — provides more career growth opportunities for dispatchers, as well as the ability to focus solely on quickly directing public-safety personnel to accidents or fires, as well as providing more support for larger emergencies.
Staffing at the 6,500-squarefoot, single-story building currently includes four supervisors and 12 dispatchers, with the possibility of hiring some parttime dispatchers for reserve purposes.
With two communities jointly running their emergency response, dispatchers can support each other when they respond to calls from either of their communities, assuming activity in one of the towns is lower than the other.
But any merger of this nature comes with an adjustment period, which should be expected.
In Tewksbury’s and Dracut’s case, some issues involved equipment, while others had to do with assimilating two previously independent operations.
That includes resolving “shorthand references” to locations in the two communities that can cause confusion.
However, those obstacles can be overcome, especially with dispatchers dedicated to only that duty.
And joining dispatchers that have already gone through this process should make Tyngsboro’s transition easier.
While the state paid for the facility, Dracut and Tewksbury still contribute to the ongoing operating costs of the facility.
Dracut Town Manager Ann Vandal previously told the newspaper that the regional dispatch center would cost the town about $400,000 to $450,000 per year, but that will be more than offset by about $2 million in state-subsidized equipment upgrades.
This won’t be the last conversation Tyngsboro conducts on this subject, but state trends suggest regional dispatch centers have become the preferred public-safety route.
With the commonwealth’s encouragement and financial support, it’s only a matter of time before more communities realize regional dispatch centers’ cost-saving benefits.
It solves budget and staffing problems, while at the same time ensuring around-the-clock coverage.