Big decisions are ahead for our emergency dispatch center, please read through this description of what's been happening with discussions, consider the pros and cons of moving to a regional dispatch center, and attend the Board meeting Tuesday night if you have questions.
On a separate note, EFR is hosting an Open House tomorrow at their station at 1802 Bergen Pkwy from 12-3pm for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter!
Early in 2014, eight law enforcement and fire agencies in Jefferson County who have communications centers worked with the Jefferson County Emergency Communications Authority to contract and complete a study on the feasibility and cost of a consolidated dispatch center. The study showed that it not only was feasible but also could provide a more efficient level of service to the community and the first responders. A Governance Committee was formed, made up of the eight agencies, to work through a foundation of how this consolidation would be developed and operate. This included work on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to officially form Jeffcom. The primary focus of Jeffcom, as stated in the IGA, is “to promote the safety of the public within the Jeffcom service area and to promote the safety of the law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel of Members and Service Users.”
The Evergreen Fire Protection District Board of Directors and the Fire Chief have been discussing at their public monthly board meetings throughout the study and through the writing of the IGA, the pros and cons of having a local 911 communications center versus joining a consolidated center. On April 12 at 5:30 they will be voting on what they plan to do.
Here are the facts about moving or not moving call center operations to a consolidated location and how the Governance Board has addressed many of them.
Click the link above for the pros and cons.
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My Mountain Town Community Calendar
- filter events by Category, date, or keyword to easily find events of interest. Add your community, church, or non-profit event to the calendar yourself! Click here
to access the submission form. Businesses: please contact us for more information on adding your events! Questions? Email
Evergreen's fire district will decide this month whether its dispatch will join the regional consolidation of dispatch centers. The chief is in favor of it, despite being lukewarm about the idea in the beginning.
"The biggest factor throughout all of this is the improved service," said Evergreen Fire/Rescue Chief Mike Weege.
The regional dispatch center has been developing since 2013. The Jefferson County Emergency Communications Authority is pushing for the regionalization on the premise that moving most Jefferson County dispatch centers under one roof will combine resources, improve response time and save money in the long run.
Evergreen took on the dispatch services for other mountain agencies in 2013, so the move would mean all dispatch services for Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon, Indian Hills, Foothills and North Fork fire protection districts moving to the center, too, if they want to retain that service.
The consolidation of dispatch centers, now being called JeffCom, has been developing since 2013 when the Jefferson County Emergency Communications Authority conducted a study finding it would save money and could improve emergency call response times.
Since then, the authority has been developing a concrete plan, has hired an executive director for the consolidated dispatch center and is now working to get the governing boards of each of the agencies to give approval.
Eight agencies — Arvada fire, Arvada police, Evergreen fire, Golden police, Jefferson County sheriff, Lakewood police, West Metro Fire and Wheat Ridge police — will operate their dispatch from one location, West Metro Fire's communication center at 433 S. Allison Parkway in Lakewood. The goal is to have it running by January 2017, according to a presentation to Golden City Council at a study session this month.
The plan still needs to determine how much other users that dispatch through these agencies — such as Colorado School of Mines police — will pay. Some pay their local agencies while others do not. At JeffCom, all will need to pay something.
Chiefs from each agency will serve on the governing board for the center.
My Mountain Town Community Calendar
- filter events by Category, date, or keyword to easily find events of interest. Add your community, church, or non-profit event to the calendar yourself! Click here
to access the submission form. Businesses: please contact us for more information on adding your events! Questions? Email
