911 cutback brings outcry at Statehouse
MONTPELIER – Dispatchers, firefighters, law enforcement and others filled the Vermont House chamber Tuesday to oppose a cost-saving proposal to close two 911 Vermont State Police dispatch centers in Derby and Rutland.
"It's a really bad idea, ill thought out because the (remaining) dispatch centers will be expected to handle a greater number of calls every year with less staff," said Tim Cornell, a dispatcher in Rutland and a patrolman in Pittsford. "You're asking for disaster."
Thirty-six employees, combined, from the two call centers face layoffs under the plan, though only 14 net positions would be lost, as the state would add back some positions at the two remaining dispatch centers.
Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn said the closures would save $1.7 million. His office devised the plan, at the request of Gov. Peter Shumlin, in order to help offset the state's projected $112 million budget shortfall.
In addition to closing dispatch centers, the plan involves reducing dispatchers' mandatory training from about six months to about three months, according to the Vermont State Employees Association, which represents the dispatchers.
Representatives from the dispatch centers, affected towns, other emergency response agencies and people who had been helped by dispatchers said they objected to the consolidation during the joint hearing Tuesday by the Senate and House government operations committees. About 30 people spoke. Many said that consolidation would imperil the lives of Vermonters and the state's tourists.
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Rep. Job Tate, R-Mendon, stood at the entrance of the House chamber and handed out Lifesavers "for life savers."
"For us, the local knowledge of the area is important to directing troopers to the right location," Tate said.
Consolidation would remove some of the local knowledge about remote areas of the state, he said.
"We have part of the Appalachian Trail, where we sometimes have heart attacks, lost skiers, snowmobilers," Tate said. "Most of them are out-of-staters so it's kind of like having a blind-leading-the-blind situation. We want to make sure our visitors are safe."
Under the cost-saving scheme, Rutland would lose 19 permanent jobs and Derby would lose 17. Flynn has said the net loss would be 14 because some positions would need to be added at the two remaining call centers at Williston and Rockingham in order to accommodate the heavier workload.
The 14 positions represent about 20 percent of the 70 full-time dispatchers employed by the state, said state police Capt. Donald Patch.
Emergency calls and radio communications from the counties of Caledonia, Orleans, Essex and part of Orange County would divert from Derby to Williston. Calls from the counties of Rutland, Addison and Bennington would funnel from Rutland to Rockingham.
Williston now dispatches calls from Chittenden County and the counties of Franklin, Grand Isle, Washington and Lamoille. Rockingham handles calls from the counties of Windham and Windsor and part of Orange County.
Sarah Copen, a dispatcher at Williston, said under the consolidation, the Williston call center would be responsible for responding to emergency calls from 63 percent of the state's population, based on 2013 census figures.
"Yes, I would be losing my job, but I'm worried that the amount of stress and the increase in calls on the ones that are left will be astronomical," said Patricia Bennett, a dispatcher in Derby.
Flynn said the consolidation would not change the quality of 911 communications.
"This is a change of the delivery system not a change of service," he said. "We wouldn't be doing this if it affected the quality of the services we provide."
Since the plan was formally announced by the governor in January, members of the employees association have gathered more 3,000 signatures from residents who object to the plan. In addition, nearly 20 towns and cities and several organizations, including the Professional Firefighters of Vermont, submitted letters or resolutions against the consolidation, said Elizabeth Adams, an administrator at the Rutland dispatch center.
Contact Paris Achen at pachen@freepressmedia.com. Follow her at www.twitter.com/parisachen and https://www.facebook.com/ColTrends.