Union-News (Springfield, MA)
Author: DANIEL MILLER
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY, MA – The Enhanced 911 police and fire dispatch service for 14 towns in Hampden and Hampshire counties will not become operational until early October, a top state police official said yesterday.
State police first said the system would go on line Aug. 3, and that date was later changed to Sept. 17.
But State police Col. Charles F. Henderson said yesterday E-911 will be placed in the dispatcher’s office at the state police barracks on North King Street, which must be re-wired to accommodate the system.
E-911 will display the address and telephone number of a person calling police, so that officers would have that information if the call is cut off.
It also will contain a component known as Computer-Aided Dispatch that keeps track of complaints and gives police an idea what kind of incidents go on at what times of the week in certain areas of town.
Delay explained
Henderson met with fire and police chiefs from the 14 towns to explain the delay.
Hatfield Police Chief David Hurley said he is a little bothered by the delay, but he said the important thing is to focus on the improved dispatch service that will result. “The state is very much dedicated to getting this running,” he said.
Hurley said he was upset with the way he was informed about the delay – he read it in the paper before state police told him.
At first, Henderson said the E-911 was going to be operated in a mobile home outside the police barracks on North King Street until a garage could be built to house it permanently.
However, state police had been relying on money from the state to build the garage, and now it appears it won’t come through for at least a few years, Henderson said.
Henderson said since he isn’t getting the garage, he now wants to put E-911 in the current dispatch center’s space. The trailer will be moved to Braintree to serve as a classroom at a new state police firing range.
“It isn’t economical to have two dispatch centers at one site when we need that trailer in Braintree,” he said.
E-911 will serve Chester, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Granville, Hatfield, Huntington, Montgomery, Pelham, Plainfield, Russell, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington.