E911 Consolidation, Working Together Regionally

from Jack Tuttle, City of Williamsburg's City Manager

A big decision regarding the future of E911 Emergency Communications is in the works.

Not long ago, the City and York County began to explore the possibility of consolidating Williamsburg’s E911 Center with York’s and using the James City County 911 Center for mutual back up.

The advantages are many:
♦ Enhanced mutual aid and regional information sharing.
♦ Reduced need for staffing – from 13 positions currently to 9 positions.
♦ Enhanced training and support for Emergency Communications.
♦ Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) advice and information for City 911 callers.
♦ Greater access to emerging E911 technologies, including cellular mapping, and Voice-over Internet Protocol.
♦ Reduced costs for duplicate equipment and service contracts.

Estimates are that the annual cost savings to Williamsburg will exceed $200,000. This will help us considerably make cost reductions necessary in the FY10 budget and future years.

Very importantly, our goal is to protect the jobs of our current staff and accomplish the staff reductions from 13 to 9 over time through attrition.

I recognize and appreciate the years of faithful service to Williamsburg from our 911 staff. These are great people. Although change nearly always comes with some pain and uncertainty, I am convinced that their future can be enhanced by this joint venture with York County.

reprinted with permission from the City of Williamsburg's "Cityside" Employee Newsletter, Jan09