This is a very thought providing article on the combined use of one Emergency Operations Center that combines, police, fire, EMS, and Emergency Management into one facility. The ultimate goal is to save the taxpayers dollars and while there is significant cost of the front end of a project like this the cost savings over a period of time are great.
As budgets continue to shink and the taxpayers are demanding more, this makes sense for those in the first responder community. Local government should look at this as the model for improvement and cost saving while providing the necessary services to its citizens. In rural areas of the country this makes sense due to the lack of a significant tax base.
Governments must continue to be forward thinking and stay one step in front or they will find themselves with outdated and inefficient dispatch centers, and this in the long run will cost the taxpayers more of their hard earned money. Citizens will continue to demand services from their emergency services and this is a way to stay on the cutting edge.
