North Shore Waits for Brown Deer to Decide on Dispatch Center

North Shore officials could find out tonight whether Brown Deer will participate in a consolidated dispatch service for police and fire calls.

Six of the seven communities within the North Shore Fire Department -  Fox Point, Bayside, River Hills, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay and Glendale - have signed agreements to join a consolidated dispatch center that would be located at the Bayside Police Department.

Brown Deer, the only community that has yet to agree to be part of the plan, will discuss the issue at its 7 p.m. Village Board meeting.

North Shore Fire Chief Robert Whitaker said his department is in full support of a consolidated dispatch operation, noting that it will increase efficiency and reduce response times.

However, he acknowledged that a big hurdle for approval of joint consolidation is each community's individual identity.

"Local control is so big here, especially in Wisconsin, it's huge," Whitaker said. "The North Shore Fire Department supports one single consolidated dispatch center in the North Shore. We're hopeful that that's what will happen."

Brown Deer Village President Carl Krueger said he also backs having that village be part of the consolidated operation.

Krueger presented information from a study by consultant Ed Henschel that showed the move could save Brown Deer more than $2 million over the next nine years.

"It would improve service levels," Krueger said. "It wouldn’t have to go through several telephone cycles to get to the proper place. That should improve response times."

But Brown Deer Police Chief Steve Rinzel said while he's not necessarily against consolidated dispatch, he has some concerns.

He said if Brown Deer became part of a joint center, the village's police station would be closed 50 percent of the time, which he said is a disservice to the community.  

"We have instances where people have been shot at and they’ve come into the department at night for protection. They come here because they know we’ll be here," Rinzel said.

He compared Brown Deer to communities like Shorewood and Glendale, communities with police stations that are open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

"I believe that the citizens in Brown Deer deserve the same level of service that they get in Glendale and Shorewood," he said.

A study conducted in September by each of the seven NSFD communities listed several advantages to consolidation, including:

• Reduction or elimination of the transfer of 911 calls between communities, which would improve response times and lower the potential for human or technology errors.
• Quicker call processing and dispatch times, which would result in faster on-scene times for field personnel.
• Standardized, consistent training and operational plans for all dispatchers, resulting in enhanced service, greater efficencies and safer working conditions for police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

Bayside Village Manager Andy Pederson has said although he hopes Brown Deer will join the consolidation effort, the merger will take place even without that community's involvement.

Planning for the new facility is under way and Pederson hopes it could be constructed by spring of 2012.

North Shore municipalities already have led the way for many consolidated programs in the past, including the NSFD, the North Shore Health Department, the North Shore Library and the North Shore Water Commission.