Joint dispatching system moves forward for Scott County

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By Deirdre Cox Baker and Tory Brecht | Wednesday, May 16, 2007 |

TODAY: (Updated 6:04 p.m.) A consolidated emergency dispatching system got a big boost this week with enabling legislation signed by Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, and the move is being hailed by both Scott County and Davenport officials.

Culver signed the legislation Monday that enables multiple government operation of the project via an established 28E Agreement process.

“This is an exciting new venture for our community and will provide savings for all taxpayers,” said Scott County Administrator Ray Wierson, a major force promoting the consolidation legislation. If all goes well, the joint dispatch system could be in place by Jan. 1, 2009, he said.

Davenport officials said clearing the legislative hurdle is a relief.

“That’s just fantastic news,” Mayor Ed Winborn said. “It means we can go forward, which in my opinion, is a very good thing for the entire county.”

City Administrator Craig Malin said the next step is to complete a study of all the potential participants’ radio systems. Davenport, Scott County, Bettendorf and Medic-EMS are all involved in the radio study, Malin said.

“We expect that to conclude in mid-summer,” he said. “Shortly thereafter, I’d anticipate a draft intergovernmental agreement to be considered.”

Bettendorf, unlike the county and Davenport, has not passed a resolution officially endorsing the consolidated dispatch concept, but continues to be part of the planning process.

In the meantime, Davenport will spend $500,000 to create a temporary dispatch center in the Scott County Courthouse to be used until the consolidated system comes on line.

That temporary radio room — which goes online in June — will eventually become the new consolidated dispatch center’s emergency backup.

Police Chief Mike Bladel said beyond saving taxpayer dollars, consolidated dispatching is expected to improve public safety. “We have to focus on the quality and delivery of service,” he said. “This will allow us to put more police and firefighters on the street and will improve our efficiency.”

Scott County will also invest $12,328 in radio equipment to be housed in a tower near Five Points on Locust Street, Davenport, supervisors decided during Tuesday’s committee-of-the-whole session. This equipment will replace 1970s-era devices that allow dispatch communications to and between safety officers patrolling much of the Iowa Quad-Cities, said Sam Samura, the county’s network infrastructure supervisor.

The Five Points tower is at a high elevation, enabling transmission to the rural areas, Samura said. All those on the consolidated system will have access to the new equipment.

Iowa is also considering a statewide joint dispatching system, Wierson said. If that happens, it could be an avenue to federal funding. In the meantime, the new dispatching system will be a model collaborative effort for future governmental consolidations, he said.

Deirdre Cox Baker can be contacted at (563) 383-2492 or dbaker@qctimes.com. Tory Brecht can be contacted at (563) 383-2329 or tbrecht@qctimes.com.