Ambulance district airs concerns about dispatch issues

Vernon County Ambulance District Director James McKenzie said that he is in favor of the combined dispatch operation between the city, county and VCAD; but he has some questions relating the financial issues involved.

"We never said we wouldn't pay for it. We said it would be difficult and we'd have to look at it," McKenzie said. "First of all, that's not my decision -- that's the ambulance board's decision. The main reason I had so many questions was that we needed to figure out how to budget for the new center. We don't have the half cent sales tax to help out and we don't have the city's budget where we can move some money around, we have a very limited budget. They were talking about our share being $20,000 to $57,000. That's a big gap and we had to figure what it was going to cost so we could budget for it."

Now that the ambulance board has had time to look at their options they have endorsed the joint powers agreement with the city and county. The final paragraph of their resolution, adopted April 9, states: "Wherefore, the board of directors wish to go on record as supporting this concept of a consolidated and more efficient dispatching activity and further pledge that with other units of government the district will to the extent of the district's fair share with other units of local government financially support the new proposed consolidated 911 dispatch center."

McKenzie said he had been trying since 1995 to get E911 service in Vernon County and worked for it, at times when he was pushing for more money for the district.

"We've been on this since 1995 when myself and some others got it put on the ballot," McKenzie said. "Even when I was out talking about our needs at the ambulance district I supported it."

McKenzie said the current service was basically just the dispatcher calling the ambulance district on the phone, which didn't cost the district anything.

"We don't pay anything right now," McKenzie said. "When a call comes in to the dispatcher at the police station or the sheriff's office they call us and we head out.

"The new dispatch center will be an improvement over that but it still won't be full E911 service."

McKenzie praised the work of the dispatchers and said he felt they deserved every penny they were paid.

"Dispatch is their own profession," McKenzie said. "If you don't get past dispatch you don't have a call. They have a lot of work to do and it takes a lot of skill to do it well. They need to be well compensated for the work they do."

McKenzie said the district was ready to present their proposal to the county later this week.

"We think we've got a good, workable solution and we'll present it to the county Thursday," McKenzie said.