Municipalities Prepare for Dispatch Consolidation
Millcreek Township officials are working with their long-time dispatch employees to make sure they have secured a job before the transition takes place.
Construction of Erie County's new public safety building is well underway, and safety officials say we could see the consolidation of dispatch operations begin early next year. So now, Millcreek Township is preparing its employees for their future outside of their communications center.
For the past year and a half, Millcreek township officials have focused specifically on 11 full-time employees who have worked in their 9-1-1 center for many years. As they prepare to eliminate dispatch positions, Millcreek officials are trying to work as many of those employees as possible into other township departments.
About 6 or 7 of those 11 full-timers have already taken positions in Millcreek's sewer and streets departments. But there's still a few Millcreek dispatchers who still don't know what they'll be doing once the county takes over operations.
In the beginning, Millcreek officials along with the dispatch employees were hesitant about the transition - but overall the process hasn't proven to be too difficult on anyone.
Public Safety officials say the new public safety building should be completed by the fall.
The emergency dispatch consolidation should begin the first of the year. Corry will be the first municipality to transition into the new building. Erie City and Millcreek Township will follow.
