Question from Anonymous

please share your thought's on combining the 911 emergency dispatch center

Rita Smart answered:

Earlier this year when the mayor challenged the commission to make a final decision on combined 911, I set out to look at the pros and cons of this issue. I attend the Combined 911 board meeting where they answered my questions and were actually hiring a city 911 employee to be the combined 911 Director. I then attended the meeting at city hall with the commissioners, combined 911 board, county and Berea officials. I had hopes of gathering information on budgets, how much 911 cost the city, how much would be saved, what were the advantages and disadvantages, etc. Instead, we spend one hour and were told a committee would be formed to study the issue, again. Now to my knowledge, no committee has met or at least no public notice and report has been issued. What I hear people saying as I visit in neighborhoods and knock on doors--What's going on with the combined 911? We're worried that calls must be transfered or there's no centralized location. Wouldn't it seem only natural that three organizations could pool all their resources and come up with one efficient, highly effective professional organization. You know, it's amazing what can be accomplished when people don't have to take credit for the success.