Westfield, Southwick move closer to agreementMay 11, 2021 |
|
Westfield and Southwick officials are discussing adding Southwick to Westfield’s dispatch system. She also said that while the infrastructure may take that long to complete, the actual operations for Southwick’s dispatch could be ready to go sooner before the build outs are fully complete. “There are ways to move operations over here with quick fixes without having every piece set right in the beginning, but when all the infrastructure build-outs are complete, we would transition to using it long term,” said Barszcz on May 6. During the LEPC meeting she said that the regionalization of Westfield’s and Southwick’s dispatch centers could be close to being finalized. “It is a little early to be celebrating, but it looks like the dispatch center could be regionalizing with Southwick,” said Barszcz. Westfield City Councilors had just received the Inter-Municipality Agreement (IMA) the week prior from Southwick. It is expected to appear on the City Council agenda May 20. Barszcz said that there is no set date yet where the regional dispatch will go live. She said it entirely depends on when Southwick ends its dispatch operations. Southwick’s dispatch operations need some major upgrades to remain in town. The two main concerns are the need for a new radio system, which would cost roughly $1.5 million, and the need for a second dispatcher per shift. There is a single-seat model used right now, but the state mandated Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols, which are time consuming and can be a challenge to a single dispatch officer when handling multiple emergency calls. Southwick Select Board Chair Douglas Moglin said there is a push at the state level to regionalize dispatch services. “We’ve had good discussions with them,” said Moglin about Westfield dispatch earlier in the process, noting Southwick and Westfield have partnered in the past. Currently, Southwick Fire Department is assisting Westfield with services south of the Cowles Bridge, which is undergoing repairs. | ||||||
