Currently we have a decentralized emergency dispatch communication system. This antiquated configuration takes away precious life-saving minutes that our first responders need to save lives. Numerous emergency responders from Calloway County & Murray police officers have told me that we need to update our old fashion decentralized 911 system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(THE) Question at the FPO Forum: 

What is your position on establishing a centralized dispatching center that would encompass county and city calls for service, and how would it be funded?  

 

My Response: 

       “I went out and talked with every department, I talked with the chiefs and I talked with the Indians too…and what I found is that there is overwhelming support for this.” You might ask yourself, “Why do we need this?” The very reason I was given, by our EMS professionals for centralizing the 911 system is that “We can cut our calls down 1 to 3 minutes.” Now this may not sound like much, but “When you’re in a car wreck and the car is burning, when you’re having a stroke or a heart attack, or you’ve got a child injured…One to three minutes can mean the difference in life or death.” (Bucky Erwin, F.O.P Forum, March 22nd, 2014)

       I base my educated position off the professional input that I received from numerous representatives of the Murray Police Department, Murray Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office, Calloway County Fire & Rescue, and importantly common sense.                

       Funding? I took the time to learn about the three ways that we can fund a centralized dispatch system. They include PSAP funds, the pre-existing phone tax, and revenues from the city of Murray alcohol tax. We are sitting on $1.6 million dollars that could be used to bring Calloway County and Murray Kentucky into the 21st century. On top of having the funding; we also have the support of the city & county, police, fire, and EMS departments. Representatives from each personally told me that they are willing to work together to undertake this mission.