Belchertown, Hadley, South Hadley and UMass are also considering joining, Amherst Town Manager Laurence Shaffer says.
AMHERST - Three area communities are interested in joining a regional dispatch operation but Town Manager Laurence R. Shaffer said he’s waiting for three or four more to agree before pushing forward.
So far, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Ludlow said they want to participate.
Shaffer said that he thinks Hadley and Belchertown will join in as well, he’s not sure about the University of Massachusetts. He also is waiting to hear from South Hadley.
Amherst began looking at regionalizing with Hadley and the University of Massachusetts in the spring of 2008. Belchertown expressed an interest soon after. Later, Pelham, South Hadley, South Hadley Fire District 2, Ludlow, Ware, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow asked to be included in the feasibility study as well. The state awarded $125,000 for that study last year. The state has also awarded the town a $735,000 grant to pay for pre-construction and design costs for a regional center and would contribute at least 40 percent of the operating costs, Shaffer said.
Shaffer said it isn’t necessary for the communities to be contiguous to be part of the regional system.
The amount of savings depends on how many communities join.
“I’m convinced that regional dispatch is a complete home run,” Shaffer said. And he said with three or four more communities, the town should proceed with forming a district.
Frank Pozniak, executive director of the state’s 911 Department, has said that the state is very much in favor of regional dispatch systems. They save money and also save time when dispatching an emergency vehicle.
Hadley Town Administrator David G. Nixon said selectmen were slated to talk about dispatch at a meeting Wednesday night.
He said the town could save perhaps $90,000 but he said the board is concerned about residents who come in for things such as burning permits. He said the town could look at some sort of hybrid with town dispatch during the day and the regional system at night.
The report looking at regionalization identified “a number of areas where we could stand some improvement” with its dispatch. He said the town will have to address those issues either through joining the regional dispatch or if the town maintains its own.
UMass is still looking into whether to join the regional system and no decision had been made, UMass spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski said.