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PHILIPSBURG--The Fire Department has reservations about joining a shared dispatch Centre with the St. Maarten Police Force and the Ambulance Department, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said this week in response to a question by MP Sarah Wescot-Williams as to whether it was correct that the Fire Department will have its own dispatch, whereas the police and ambulance are said to be having theirs jointly. Wescot-Williams asked for a rationale behind this.
Richardson explained that the process of a joint Central Dispatch Unit began prior to 10-10-10. At this time, a committee was put in place to oversee this process. In August a letter of intent was signed by the Police Department, the Ambulance Department and the Fire Service to indeed work together to make this a reality.
The funds to establish this joint centre were provided by Plan Safety St. Maarten through USONA via the Ministry of Justice. The Police Force was in the process of establishing a Central Dispatch that would be housed in a single location along with other departments of the police.
"This dispatch centre is presently operational and will also be the command centre for the camera surveillance project which is currently being planned. The centre will therefore also function as the logistical information and command centre for the police force," said the Minister of Justice before adding: "As such it forms an integral part of information-guided police operations and therefore of the police organisation."
The centre is capable of servicing the Ambulance and the Fire Department as well. "The Ambulance Department is impressed by what has been achieved so far and will participate in the central dispatch centre of the police. The fire department has reservations and consultations will continue to resolve any differences," said the Minister of Justice.
Clive Richardson, Chief of the Fire Department, explained to The Daily Herald that there had been some issues about cooperation between the different parties in the past.
"In December 2014 I sat down with Peter de Witte and Carl John, and we spoke about working together. The issue of the Fire Department has always been that we believe such a project should be an equal cooperation. As it is right now, the Fire Department have had very little input in the location, the equipment used, and the decision as to who is going to run the dispatch centre.
"That does not mean the Fire Department does not want to cooperate. We are more than happy to negotiate as to how a cooperation can be achieved in which all parties are a part of this project.
"I see a lot of benefits in the Fire Department keeping its own dispatch centre, which can then work in close operation with the new dispatch centre set up by the police. That way, we are not dependent on one centre, and we have something to fall back on in case of a disaster.
"The system wouldn't have to be changed a lot to achieve this. People would call one central number, and if the call is for the Fire Department, the call could be dispatched to the Fire Department dispatcher. The only big difference for the public would be that there would just be one emergency number, 911 for all calls, instead of calling a different number for each service," he said.
Fire Chief Richardson added: "I am looking forward to an opportunity to go and see the new dispatch centre. Negotiations are ongoing."
