Livermore Falls, Androscoggin County prepare for dispatch switchover

Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

Livermore Falls Dispatch Supervisor Amanda Leclerc tells a firefighter his call is coming in clear Thursday. Androscoggin County is preparing to take over dispatch services for Livermore Falls police and fire, and Livermore fire on Monday, Nov. 23. Leclerc has been hired as the administrative assistant to the Livermore Falls Police Department. Another full-time dispatcher, Levi Gould has been hired as an Androscoggin County dispatcher. Two other full-time dispatchers will be laid off as of Nov. 30.

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- Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

Livermore Falls fire Chief Mark Chretien talks radios with Livermore Falls dispatch Supervisor Amanda Leclerc, left, and police Chief Ernest N. Steward Jr. on Thursday. Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department is taking over dispatching for Livermore Falls police and fire, and Livermore fire as of Nov. 23. Tests are being run to work out any glitches before the transfer.

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- Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS — Come Monday, Nov. 23, Androscoggin County Dispatch Center dispatchers will be dispatching for the Livermore Falls Police Department and Fire Department, and Livermore Fire Department.

The center will handle all 911 emergency calls.

Though 911 emergency medical calls will initially be handled by Androscoggin County, negotiations are continuing on the possibility that Androscoggin dispatchers will transfer those medical calls to Franklin County Sheriff's Dispatch Center in Farmington. The latter service dispatches for NorthStar Emergency Services ambulances in most of the Franklin County area.

NorthStar EMS Executive Director David Robie said last week that negotiations have not been finalized.

Livermore Falls Dispatch Center currently handles emergency medical calls for NorthStar in the towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. Androscoggin County dispatch currently answers the 911 calls, including medical calls, and transfers those calls to Livermore Falls to be dispatched from there.

If the Franklin County Dispatch Center takes over the medical emergency calls, Androscoggin County Sheriff's Capt. Ray Lafrance said it would be a quicker transaction between the two entities because they are both equipped as public safety answering points. That means that have the technology to identify the name, number and address of each landline call, and the equipment to get information from cell calls as well. 

All those issues will be worked out by the time Androscoggin County takes over dispatching for police and firefighters.
Livermore Falls dispatchers will stay on for the week of Nov. 23 but will not answer emergency calls, Amanda Leclerc, Livermore Falls dispatch supervisor, said Thursday.

"We will be here as a precaution," Leclerc said.

Local dispatchers will be on duty 24 hours-a-day until 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30, the end of the last shift, she said.

Leclerc, who has been hired as the administrative assistant to the Livermore Falls Police Department, will be at the front desk from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, except for holidays, vacations and court days when she needs to travel to Lewiston District Court to handle arraignments.

After 4 p.m. weekdays and on weekends and holidays, phone lines will be transferred to the Androscoggin County Dispatch Center, Livermore Falls police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. said.

Officials are asking residents to be sure they call 911 if there is an emergency to guarantee it is taken care of as quickly as possible.

There is an intent to put a telephone outside the Livermore Falls Police Station for after-hours emergencies, Town Manager Jim Chaousis said.

Two new full-time dispatchers have been hired by Androscoggin County to help pick up the additional call volume, Lafrance said. One of them is Livermore Falls dispatcher Levi Gould, who is attending classes to be certified as a state emergency medical dispatcher, he said.

"We're confident it will be a nice smooth transition," Lafrance said. "The people in Livermore Falls have been great to work with."

"We're going to do our best to make sure there are no problems with dispatch," Steward said.

dperry@sunjournal.com