LIVERMORE FALLS – The committee charged with studying the local dispatch situation wants to know more about dispatchers’ work, so they will be observing them this week before meeting again at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the town office.

Police Chief Ernest Steward Jr., who’s also in charge of dispatch, advised committee members that weekend evenings or any early morning might give them the best insight into the workings of the system.

What they see will vary, he indicated, since dispatchers not only handle emergency situations but information calls, as well, on such things as school closings, power outages, and bank, business, house and medical alarms. Former Town Manager Maxine Bailey chairs the committee, which held its first meeting Monday at the town office.

The committee was requested by citizens at the June town meeting. The committee members are charged with doing a thorough study of the costs and value of the local system, as opposed to possible savings of having part or all the dispatching done elsewhere.

A proposal at town meeting indicated that the town could save money by having the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department do part or all of the local police dispatching. But that left many questions, among them citizen safety and who would do fire and ambulance dispatch.

Serving with Bailey are Tom DuBois as vice-chair, Kevin Morrissey and Palmer Hebert, the four appointed by the selectmen. They will be working with Steward, Fire Chief Ken Jones, Road Foreman Denis Castonguay and Tom Doak from Community Emergency Services.

Although the group admitted that having Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department do the dispatching probably would save money, they’re worried about the 35-mile distance. They’re also concerned that city-based dispatchers would be unfamiliar with local streets.

A regional approach would make a lot more sense, they agreed, with Livermore Falls dispatching for others or others dispatching for Livermore Falls.

That approach will be one of the avenues to investigate, as well as the Androscoggin and Franklin county sheriffs’ departments.

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