Select Board: Facts, Data, Due Diligence Guided Dispatch Decision

To the Editor,

On Tuesday June 21, the Select Board voted to join NSR911 Center.  After months of due diligence, including facility tours and meetings with State 911 leaders, we based our decision on the following facts:

• NSR911 has been well-run since the State assumed responsibility for it in July 2019
• NSR911 provides critical additional capabilities needed for fire and emergency medical response - engaging two public safety professionals (call-takers and dispatchers) for each call
• NSR911 costs are paid for by fees currently on cell phone bills; no costs will be directly billed to the Town of Manchester; recurring annual savings are estimated at $565,000, totaling $3.95 through June 2029

In May’s town election, Manchester residents voted to keep the dispatch function in Manchester.We do not take this input lightly and understand our decision will disappoint many residents.However, Select Board members have also taken an oath to make decisions “in the best interest of the town.”We must base our decisions on facts, data and logic, even when those decisions are unpopular. A majority of Select Board members felt we could not live up to our fiduciary responsibilities, if we knowingly overstaffed and overinvested our in-town dispatch operation, spending millions of dollars needed to support many other critical priorities.We prioritized “needs” over “wants.”

In the coming months, as part of this transition, we will offer opportunities for residents to become more familiar with North Shore Regional 911 operations and its staff.

Regards, 

Becky Jaques

Chair, Manchester Select Board