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Hingham Mass. Fire Captains Voice Concerns About 4-Town Dispatch Center

External News Source February 19, 2013 Industry

Christian Schiavone, The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA)

Hingham Fire Department shift commanders want selectmen to investigate the quality of service being provided by a regional emergency dispatch center that has been in operation for more than a year.

In a letter sent to selectmen earlier this month, fire Capts. William A. Powers Sr., Robert D. Keyes, Louis LaChance and John M. Haley wrote that their major concern is the amount of time it takes to dispatch firefighters to a call.

“As shift commanders that work directly with the (South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center) daily, the errors that occur continue to create more work and additional stress for us,” the letter states.

The state-funded $6.2 million regional center at Hingham Town Hall provides emergency dispatch service for Hingham, Hull, Norwell and Cohasset.

Hingham Selectmen Chairwoman Laura Burns said Friday that the town was already planning a review of the dispatch center after the board questioned why the center is costing the town more to operate than the old single-town dispatch center.

The town is budgeted to spend nearly $74,000 more for dispatch services in the fiscal year that begins July 1 than it did in fiscal 2011, the last full budget year before the center came online.

Burns said the board’s review will include input from the four fire captains who sent the letter.

“It’s been quite an experience putting it together, and we’re going to be sure to include whatever comments the fire captains have,” Burns said. “Every aspect of this has been a learning curve.”

Burns said the upcoming review will likely include input from police and fire personnel, as well as the town administrators from each of the towns involved.

A report by the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston released this week said that cities and towns could save millions of dollars by consolidating emergency dispatch, health and other services. However, the study said the savings would come from widespread consolidation, not smaller agreements between a handful of communities.

In their letter to selectmen, the fire captains say dispatch center errors require them to monitor every dispatch and make constant corrections, because they are held accountable.

“We write this letter out of concern for the safety of the Hingham residents and for our ability to provide timely and quality service under this system,” the captains wrote.

Fire Chief Mark Duff and Town Administrator Ted Alexiades did not return calls seeking comment Friday afternoon.

Police Chief Michael Peraino also did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Copyright © 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

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