The Department of Public Safety is looking for input on a new report that suggests major changes to how Vermont handles emergency dispatch calls.
Lawmakers created the Public Safety Communications Task Force in 2023 to take a hard look at the state’s dispatch calling system, and the group released a draft version of its findings this month.
The report found that the number of dispatch centers could be reduced from the current number of 37 down to six, which would mean closing many of the small dispatch calling centers around the state.
“I believe that some hard decisions are going to have to be made,” said Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison. “Some changes will have to be made. We have structural issues that need to be fully vetted.”
The report found that in most parts of the country, states or regions operate one or two centers for a population the size of Vermont’s, which is 646,464.
While the report contains a range of recommendations, the strongest suggestion says Vermont could operate with six dispatch centers located in Hartford, Lamoille County, Shelburne, St. Albans, Westminster and Williston.
The biggest changes would be at the Westminster and Williston Vermont State Police barracks, with each picking up more than a dozen dispatch centers, and each center requiring more staffing and possibly additional physical space.
Along with having way too many dispatch centers, the report found that the existing system is also overburdened and inadequate.
I believe that some hard decisions are going to have to be made.Some changes will have to be made. We have structural issues that need to be fully vetted.Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison
Most of the dispatch centers, 33 out of the 37, face operational and staffing deficiencies that pose significant challenges.
Four of the centers do not operate 24/7, and 16 of the centers handle less than 3% of the state’s overall volume.
With so many call centers, the report found, there is a greater chance that an emergency call has to be transferred, leading to delays during crucial emergencies.
“Every time a call is transferred from a 911 call taker to another center, that is a possible potential failure point,” Morrison said.
The report recognizes the arguments that local dispatch centers, with employees who know the local roads, can lead to better outcomes.
But retaining the current system presents too many challenges to overhauling the technology and improving outcomes statewide, the report finds.
Almost 90% of the state’s communications centers were understaffed, failing to meet the standard of two telecommunicators on duty.
The report found that Vermont’s dispatch centers do not have a comprehensive, reliable security system, statewide, and that staffing shortages and a lack of training prevent the system from meeting modern standards for operations and security.
Vermont is using outdated technology, and the lack of cell coverage in some areas of the state contribute to the challenges.
Throughout the report, the authors recognize Vermont’s strong preference for local control, and they ask regional dispatchers, public safety and law enforcement agencies to “set aside political considerations and focus on the potential benefits rather than perceived losses.”
The report offered a range of recommendations, but the authors stated that “remaining status quo without finding opportunities to, at a minimum, regionalize from a policy and operations and core technology perspective,” should not be considered, “because of the significance of the lack of consistency and usability of the public safety communications system as it is configured today.”
The Department of Public Safety will gather public comments on the plan throughout the month of March, including public sessions on March 18 and 20.
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