At the Erlanger City meeting on July 18, the Erlanger City Council voted unanimously to consider consolidating its dispatch center with Kenton County’s. The merger is expected to take place over the next year with an implementation in July 2018.
Knochelmann
“By joining the two centers together, we will improve dispatch services for all of Kenton County. It creates long-term stability and increases public safety,” said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann. “One dispatch center will provide citizens with the best service at the lowest cost. Everyone wins.”
In the next year there will be multiple policy negotiations, employee training, record conversion, and a major upgrade to the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System.
Conditions of the terms include the hiring of all Erlanger Dispatch personnel and a leadership role for the dispatch manager. The 911 Board will also expand to include Erlanger’s Police Chief Tony Wilson and a member of the Fiscal Court.
“The Erlanger Fire/EMS Department exists to provide the utmost in quality care and service to the community. This concept will not change with the consolidation of dispatch centers within Kenton County,” said City of Erlanger Fire/EMS Chief Todd Whitaker. “Our efforts will remain focused on delivering excellent public safety to those served. These services will now be initiated within an integrated emergency communications center, and perhaps, this consolidation can be a foundation within the region for the future of public safety in Northern Kentucky.”
Along with increasing public safety and long term-stability, the City of Erlanger is also considering the cost benefits of the merge.
Hermes
“Dispatch in Erlanger currently costs our taxpayers a little over $100 per housing unit. We have a very difficult question to ask ourselves…’With the upcoming radio upgrades and software changes necessary to stay connected with our surrounding cities, should we spend $900,000 (almost doubling our yearly cost) to stay in business, or do we consolidate with the county and take advantage of the service they are providing to the rest of our neighbors?’ I have confidence in the guidance of our chiefs and leadership team to assist in making the right long-term decision for our community,” said Erlanger Mayor Tyson Hermes.
“We are still weighing our options, but it is very likely that we will switch to Kenton County Dispatch next year,” said Erlanger Police Chief Tony Wilson.
Last September, Kenton County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Boone and Campbell Counties for the design, bidding, construction and implementation of an 800 megahertz (P 25) Public Safety Communication System. In April and May, all three Fiscal Courts awarded the infrastructure bid to Motorola Solutions, Inc. This system will provide first responders the acceptable coverage and full functionality that supports the delivery of high safety service.
The anticipated live turn on date of the new radio system is mid to late 2018.
City of Erlanger
