LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen have begun the process of learning about different emergency dispatch service providers.

It is unclear whether Androscoggin County dispatch center will continue to provide dispatching service to the town in the future, Livermore Falls fire Chief Gerry Pineau said.

There have been emails, rumors, meetings and some numbers thrown out that surprised Pineau, Town Manager Kristal Flagg and police Chief Ernest Steward Jr., Pineau said.

Livermore Falls residents voted in 2009 to close local dispatch and go to Androscoggin County to provide the service for the town for police, covered by the tax dollars Livermore Falls pays to the county. For fire calls, there is an additional fee per call, Pineau said.

There is some talk about the Androscoggin County dispatch getting out of the dispatch business. It’s equipment is outdated and needs to be upgraded or they need to go elsewhere, Pineau said.

There is some talk that the towns that Androscoggin County serves for dispatching will go to Lisbon dispatch center. That price is estimated at more than $90,000 just for police and that doesn’t include fire or animal control officer calls, Pineau said.

Currently Lewiston-Auburn Emergency Communications System and Androscoggin County dispatch center have the two public safety answering points in the county for 911 calls to come directly into dispatch centers. Lisbon does not have a PSAP, Pineau said.

Callers calling 9-1-1 first go to a public safety answering point and then are transferred to a dispatch center, which does not have PSAP equipment.

L-A 9-1-1 Director Phyllis Gamache-Jensen gave selectmen an overview of the Lewiston, Auburn center and its conceptual approach to consolidating the Lewiston, Auburn 9-1-1 and the Androscoggin County Sheriff‘s Department of Public Safety Answering Point.

Gamache-Jensen said that there are 26 PSAPs in Maine down from 48. A new study is recommending there be 15 to 17 in the state, she said. There is strong support from counties to have one PSAP in each of the 16 counties, she said. They normally have four dispatchers working but sometimes it is five to six.

Her center has room to grow and could take care of all of Androscoggin County’s dispatching.

She also proposes a new governance model that would have representation that would include the county. An Advisory Council would also be created to work out operational strategies, problem solving, hardware/software recommendations.

The funding formula remains unresolved, she said.

There are several options including town valuation, calls for service, a mix of both. Most county-run dispatch agencies are funded by tax levy, she said.

She proposes a three-year phase-in based on valuation with gradual reductions in Lewiston, Auburn’s portion of county dispatch.

Gamache-Jensen put in a disclaimer in her handout that states the figures she is giving out represent a “best-guess estimate” based on known current PSAP cost and do not take into consideration any future collective bargaining, salary adjustments, budget increases, or unanticipated capital costs.

Of the $182,050 Livermore Falls paid for county taxes this year, about $11,835 went to dispatching law enforcement. The town paid an additional $5,000 for fire calls, Pineau said, to make it $16,835 to the county

If the town went with L-A, then it is estimated there would be a $6,585 increase during year one. So it would be about a total of $18,420 including the $11,835 the town pays to Androscoggin County for taxes. Fire calls would be included in the L-A’s price.

Pineau urged the board to think about going to a dispatch center that could provide all services from one place.

Other communication center representatives will also be called upon for presentations, include Lisbon, Franklin County and Winthrop.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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