Kwast on countywide dispatcher
I believe a countywide dispatch center is an idea with enough merit that it should be considered. Criminals have no respect for jurisdictional lines and it matters little to citizens in need of emergency response as to what jurisdiction they are in at the moment. On the surface it would appear that a county wide dispatch center might improve communication and response times, and may result in efficiencies to the departments involved and potentially could allow economic resources to be reallocated to other public safety needs. It is worth considering; however the ultimate decision should be made by the leadership in the Departments involved. They are in the best position to assess whether such a system would be an improvement to their operations or not. I do not think that any City should be mandated to join. Even if it is a terrific idea, if the leadership involved is not convinced that it is the proper solution, then it would be destined for failure.