The plan uses $425,000 from the state’s 2 percent universal service fee to continue funding the state-operated public safety answering points, or PSAPs, in Rutland and Derby from July 1 to Sept. 15.
The language in the budget bill instructs Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn to meet with local first responders to discuss how emergency dispatch and E-911 call-taking should be funded by local communities.
PSAPs handle both emergency calls from the public and dispatch calls from law enforcement in Derby, Williston, Rutland Town and Rockingham. Four quasi-private PSAPs perform similar functions in Shelburne, Hyde Park, St. Albans and Hartford.
The compromise emerged in the wake of public outcry over Flynn’s proposal to save $1.7 million by consolidating the Derby and Rutland Town PSAPs into facilities in Williston and Rockingham. Gov. Peter Shumlin challenged the commissioner to come up with a plan for cutting the Department of Public Safety’s budget.
The issue came to a head at a public hearing last week in Montpelier, where more than 20 first responders from Rutland County and the Northeast Kingdom told the House and Senate committees on Government Operations that the consolidation plan would compromise public safety, increase call-answering time and cost the state money in the long run due to increased overtime.
Rep. Butch Shaw, R-Florence, a volunteer firefighter, helped organize first responders to lobby the Legislature. The dispatchers are state workers and the Vermont State Employees Association has also aggressively opposed the PSAP consolidation proposal.
Late Monday afternoon, the funding proposal was approved by House Appropriations in a unanimous vote with support from Rep. Peter Fagan, R-Rutland City, and Rep. Bob Helm, R-Fair Haven, who grilled Flynn in a February presentation over concerns that the consolidation would eliminate working-class jobs in the Rutland area.
Rep. Kitty Toll, D-Danville, a member of House Appropriations said the short-term funding buys the Rutland and Derby areas more time to absorb the consolidation.
Rep. Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, chair of the committee, said the small sum of money from the universal service fund would help voices come to the table to find a “community-based solution.” That solution will likely require local funding, such as a county tax or per-call fee.
“The underlying governor’s recommendation is a reduction of $1.7 million, and we replaced just less than a quarter’s money, of one-time money, just to buy a little time for better discussions,” Johnson said. “So, if the locals want a local dispatch entity, they’re also going to have to figure out a way to pay for them.”
Rep. Peter Fagan, R-Rutland City, said the original consolidation proposal was “a big concern.” He called it “one more thing” on top of the loss of more than 950 jobs in the Rutland area over the last year.
“Is that going to entail, in all probability, paying for dispatching services?” Fagan asked. “Yes. It should. If everybody pays their fair share, then we can keep dispatching going in the state of Vermont.”
Shaw said the language in the bill also asks the Enhanced 911 (E-911) board to come to the table. Shaw wants to find out how many 911 call-takers are needed, how many emergency dispatchers are needed and whether the services should be separated or performed by the same person.
In New Hampshire, for example, the state has two E-911 PSAPs but 76 local dispatching centers. In Vermont about 20 years ago, the state had 12 dispatch centers but consolidated down to four.
“The open question is, ‘Do we need four PSAP centers, or do we need two E-911 centers and two dispatch centers, or a combination of both?’” Shaw said.
VTDigger’s Elizabeth Hewitt contributed to this report.
