City officially joins regional 911
Manzi: New emergency dispatch center to save city up to $500,000 a year
By John Basilesco
MethuenLife Writer
City officials expect to save up to $500,000 a year by moving the city's 911 dispatching operation to a planned regional communications center in Middleton.
The City Council last month unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Mayor William Manzi III to finalize an agreement to join the regional call center.
Methuen is one of approximately 13 communities interested in participating in the center, which would be run by the Essex County Sheriff's Office. It will be built on state-owned land on Manning Avenue in Middleton, near the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Becoming part of the regional call center is expected to save Methuen approximately $300,000 to $500,000 a year, Manzi said. The savings will be realized by eliminating dispatchers from Methuen's payrolls and cutting out the capital costs Methuen would otherwise have to pay to buy new equipment for its dispatch centers, Manzi said.
"Across the board, regionalization is going to be the wave of the future," Manzi said. "For the taxpayers, it means delivering more value and more services for less money."
The regional dispatch center is at least 15 to 18 months away from being up and running, Manzi said. He said he expects to finalize an agreement before the end of this year.
All eight of Methuen's civilian police dispatchers will be offered, and are expected to take, jobs at the new call center, Manzi said. The city's four firefighter-dispatchers are expected to be switched to regular firefighting positions, he said.
Methuen's top two public safety officials, Police Chief Katherine Lavigne and Fire Chief Steven Buote, say they believe the regional call center will enhance emergency dispatch services for Methuen and the other communities involved.
"It will mean better service and better technology for much less money," Buote said.
By pooling their resources, the communities will be able to afford top flight equipment in the new center, Buote said. It will also mean having a large contingent of dispatchers available at all times to handle high volumes of calls, including a large-scale emergency, Buote said. Currently, the Methuen Fire Department has one dispatcher on duty at a time.
Lavigne said the regional call center will mean "enhanced services to the public" through "unmatched" training for the dispatchers and state-of-the-art equipment for the regional call center.
Manzi said health insurance and pensions for the dispatchers will be paid for by the state.
The state Executive Office of Public Safety awarded $4.9 million toward the cost of building and equipping the center earlier in the year. The agency has also committed to covering the balance of the estimated $6.8 million project cost.
