ELBERT COUNTY — When Elizabeth Fire Chief T.J. Steck learned the county was closing its dispatch center, he was mad.
Simla Mayor Jerry Allen said it came out of nowhere.
Officials worried.
Who would take their 911 calls? How much was it going to cost them? And would dispatchers dozens of miles away know the area well enough to make expert decisions on where to direct local police and fire for help?
“There were many concerns in the beginning,” Steck said. “We went though anger, worry and a lot of different emotions.”
But it soon became clear to public-safety managers from Elbert County that shuttering the county dispatch center and outsourcing the work to Douglas County’s state-of-the art program makes good financial and policy sense.
“Everybody came to the table and said, ‘This is what’s best for the safety of our citizens,’ ” Steck said.
While it’s not a done deal just yet, Elbert County and its communities are working toward a Sept. 1 deadline when all 911 calls will be routed through Douglas County.
The rapid growth and expense of new technologies is forcing the county to close its dispatch center. Seven dispatchers will lose their jobs.
Douglas County’s computer and communications systems may improve Elbert County response times, even though dispatchers are routing calls from Castle Rock.
“We had to take a hard look to ensure folks had the services they needed when they dial 911,” said Cory Stark, Elbert County’s emergency management coordinator. “We realized the needs and safety of the citizens in the county comes first.”
The issue has been contentious. The Elbert County commissioners, who recently approved shutting down the dispatch center, refused to comment for this story.
At least seven fire departments and four law enforcement agencies affected by the transition will form a new Emergency County Service Communication Authority.
Elbert County has been spending about $750,000 annually on public-safety dispatch, Stark said.
But now communities will have to pay their own way.
Simla, population 700, expects to have to pay $39 per 911 call. With about 130 calls a year, that’s about $5,000 taken away from the southern Elbert County town’s yearly budget of about $1.6 million.
It’s not a huge chunk of change, but “it would mean there are some things we will not be able to do,” Allen said.
The $39 fee for 911 calls would likely be the same for the Elizabeth Fire Protection District, which is funded through local property taxes. Law enforcement would pay about $17 a call, Steck said.
Holly Nicholson-Kluth, bureau chief of administrative services for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said the county is working out the technical and logistical issues with Elbert County and that no contracts have been signed.
She said Douglas County will be able to handle the increased amount of 911 calls without having to hire additional staff.
Douglas County recently purchased a new computer system for dispatch, records and mobile reporting that makes everything more efficient, she said.
“Sheriff (Dave) Weaver is more than glad to help a neighboring county that is struggling with an issue,” Nicholson-Kluth said.
“How ever we can help, we will try.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
