Dispatch Centre

The Temiskaming Shores Police Service Dispatch Centre provides service to residents across the city and 13 area municipalities in South Temiskaming.

Staffed by 5 full-time and 2 part-time dispatchers, who also serve as special constables, the Dispatch Centre provides:

• area-wide Enhanced 911 dispatch
• city and area-wide fire dispatch
• city-wide public works dispatch
• Temiskaming Shores Police dispatch
• after hours telephone answering and alarm monitoring services for a number of agencies and private citizens, which generates revenue for the municipality

City staff have advised Council that the cost of replacing the police service Dispatch Centre with a new municipal stand alone dispatch service for fire, 911 and public works will cost the same as the current service (approximately $300,000 per year).  Local policing calls would be answered at the OPP call centre in North Bay.

Since the dispatch centre is part of the Temiskaming Shores Police Service, the cost of operation is now partially subsidized through an annual policing grant by the provincial government. 

Since the difference in price between the OPP policing quote and the Temiskaming Shores Police Service is essentially the cost of operating the local dispatch service, switching to OPP would not provide any real cost savings to Temiskaming Shores taxpayers.

As an alternative to having a local dispatch centre, Councillor Whalen has proposed that the local dispatch jobs be terminated, and a private, out-of-district company be hired to answer emergency calls from Temiskaming Shores and area.

Since city staff have reported that no existing businesses in Timiskaming District can provide 24/7 dispatch service for Enhanced 911, fire and public works, Councillor Whalen’s strategy means sending local tax dollars out of the area for dispatch service.

Area residents appreciate and expect local dispatch when making emergency calls.  The current Dispatch Centre is local, dedicated and more responsive that what would be received from outside agencies. 

If Council closes down the Dispatch Centre and contracts with an out-of-district dispatch call centre, it may save money, but it will not be because of disbanding the Temiskaming Shores Police – instead any dispatch costs savings will be a result of laying off local dispatchers - cutting local jobs - and sending ratepayer tax dollars to an out-of-district agency or business.

Council has voted to exclude dispatch centre and other civilian staff from the proposed OPP contract.

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