To the Editor:

In response to: “Despite Opposition Selectmen Advised to Pursue Regional Dispatch Study,” [Bee, 8/22/14].

Some points that need clarification from the Board of Selectmen meeting on August 18th:

1. Newtown has been receiving nominal grants towards Emergency Communications that it will no longer get.  How much is not mentioned. I feel Mrs Llordra would have this information since she mentioned it, but then again at previous meetings it was said it wasn’t about the money.

2. Mr. Chaudhary said he expects consolidations that are being encouraged by state public safety officials will eventually be mandated.  He expects?  As of now there is no mandate.

3. Litchfield County Dispatch has a former Newtown dispatcher working there. Did the speaker mention that the dispatcher may have left Newtown due to job uncertainty and the changing “climate” in the NECC?

4. There is one dispatcher who is currently a Newtown resident.  I know of one who grew up in Newtown and another who recently moved out of Newtown.  Whether residents or not, I guarantee these dispatchers know Newtown better than someone 30 miles away.

5. Mr Chaudhary stated that the entire state of Texas has only three dispatch centers. Finding that hard to believe, I researched Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) in Texas.  There are three types of 911 entities in Texas but Texas has 683 PSAP’s. Please note the following FCC website: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/9-1-1-master-psap-registry

6. Taxpayers “could potentially trim about 30 percent from the current $1.03 million operating budget by consolidating emergency dispatch operations”.  Where did this number come from? They are using the word “could.” Will it or will it not! What about start-up costs, are they included in the savings?

7. Newtown will be required to maintain a backup dispatch operation, to be used if communication ties to the regional center are lost because of a weather-related or other disaster. Who will man this? People from Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communications Center or Litchfield County Dispatch?

I asked a few Newtown residents how they felt about the proposed regional dispatch.  They felt it is a “no brainer” that the NECC should be kept intact. Questions they asked of me:

1.       After 12/14 and the opinions of the Police, Fire Commissions and Ambulance Association, who have serious doubts about regionalizing dispatch, how could Mrs. Llordra and the Board of Selectmen choose to regionalize?

2.       Why would they want to replace something that isn’t broke?

3.       Will this go out to referendum?

It has been stated that safety is the first priority. But if our Police and Fire Commissions and the Ambulance Association are not satisfied with the findings neither should Mrs Llordra, the Board of Selectman or the Legislative Council. Many issues were not fully addressed or knowledgeably answered.  Are there any Newtown residents taking this idea seriously besides the first responders?  Wake up and write a letter to Mrs. Llordra. Let your voices be heard or it’ll be assumed you don’t care! Safety comes first!  Save Newtown dispatch!

Linda M. Haas

Old Waterbury Road, Southbury             September 9, 2014