BARNSTABLE – Amid major increases in emergency call volumes, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office is planning expansions to its 911 Regional Emergency Communications Center.
The center has been in operation on Joint Base Cape Cod since 2007, handling calls for the majority of fire departments in the region, according to the department.
With rising operational costs and staffing challenges, utilizing a larger regional dispatch that can be shared among even more communities has become more attractive in recent years, says Sheriff Donna Buckley.
“It is my goal to expand our existing capacity by enlarging the dispatch center, so we can accommodate as many new departments as possible,” Buckley said.
Two new additions to the department’s staff will assist in the effort. Deputy Chief of Communications Tom Ashe has been promoted to Chief of Emergency Communications and David Zack has been hired to serve as Director of Emergency Communications.
There’s no timeline yet on when a new center could be up and running, but Buckley said they have made significant progress in determining what kind of space they would need to potentially serve the region at large.
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