Officials meet to discuss dispatch services for Nevada, Vernon County

Vernon County Commissioners Bonnie McCord and Kennon Shaw, along with Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman, met with Nevada City Manager Bill McGuire and Nevada Public Safety Director Gary Herstein to discuss combining the dispatch center in the new county jail facility -- currently under construction on property to the north of Sutherlands Lumber.

There are obstacles to combining the services; the two departments use different frequencies and types of radio equipment, the two departments have different compensation packages for employees, and in order to have both departments work as one there would have to be an inter-governmental agreement in place; however, the benefits are thought to be more than worth the effort to combine departments.

McGuire said that there was a possibility that in the future departments might have to combine by a decree from the state. Adding, they might as well do it now so they could do it in a way both departments would be happy with, and in a way that was most beneficial.

"If we don't do this now we might find ourselves doing it anyway because of a mandate we have no control over," McGuire said. "We don't want to do it twice so we need to get it right the first time."

The equipment problem is one that would have to be addressed in any case; the city's equipment is at the end of its useful life and while the sheriff's equipment is newer with the move to a new jail building it would not be cost-effective to move it and like the police equipment has some problems.

"Our equipment is about seven years old," Herstein said. "We're finding it hard to find parts for the equipment. We don't repair the circuit boards, we just pull out the old ones and put in new boards. Another thing, right now neither system can find someone if they use a cell phone to call 9-1-1. If someone calls in on a cell phone we would have to go to the prosecutor to ask for a subpoena, get it signed by a judge and then send it to the phone company. It's just not practical."

In addition to the city and county consolidating there is also the chance that the Vernon County Ambulance District could go in with them and make it a universal dispatching center. In order for all the departments to make use of the facility the dispatchers would have to be under a board created by an intergovernmental agreement, but all three of the groups seem to be in agreement. Even though the ambulance district wasn't represented at the meeting McCord said director James McKenzie had voiced his support for such an agreement.

Having such a board would make the transition easier according to McCord.

"Having a board in charge of communications would ease any conflicts," McCord said.