Mackinac County's 911 emergency and assistance calls will be dispatched by Chippewa County under a five-year, $640,000 contract approved by the Mackinac County Central Dispatch Board Tuesday, April 8. That means Mackinac County will not renew its contract with the Michigan State Police dispatch center in Negaunee, but the move is expected to save money and give the county's emergency services department a voice in decisions at Central Dispatch, supporters point out.

In a 9-3 vote, dissenters included St. Ignace Police Chief Tim Matelski, Michigan State Police St. Ignace Post Commander Dave Hopper, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians police officer Rich Cullen, who was representing Tribal Police Chief Fred Paquin.

Ultimately, the Mackinac County Board of Commissioners will make the final decision to move dispatching operations to Chippewa County, following a public hearing, yet to be scheduled.

Under a new contract with Chippewa County, Mackinac County will be expected to pay $160,000 for the first year of service, with $40,000 of that incurred for transferring and reconfiguring equipment and technology. After 2009, Mackinac County will be expected to pay $120,000 a year until the contract expires in 2013.

Mackinac County has been a joint member of Negaunee Regional Dispatch since 1999, along with seven other counties in the Upper Peninsula, but the center said the state can no longer subsidize operations there, and projected large cost increases to its members over the next five years. The Mackinac County dispatch board believes contracting with neighboring Chippewa County will ultimately save the county as much as $107,000 over the next five years, according to Mackinac County 911 Coordinator Bryce Tracy.

Luce County left the Negaunee service and joined Chippewa County earlier this winter.

"We will support Mackinac County's decision and do what we can to make sure the transition goes over smoothly," Pam Matelski told The St. Ignace News Monday, April 14. The Lansing-based communications manager for the state police, and former Mackinac County 911 coordinator, expressed disappointment that an agreement between her agency and Mackinac County could not be reached.

Negaunee Regional Dispatch members remaining are the counties of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft.

Tim McKee, 911 emergency coordinator for Chippewa County, said once the contract with Mackinac County is finalized, the three counties will review Chippewa County Dispatch's policies and procedures and finalize what is called a 911 Final Plan, which identifies the methods of conducting a 911 emergency dispatch center.

The entire board agreed that the decision to switch dispatch centers was not a reflection on the quality of service from the dispatchers in Negaunee, said Tim Matelski.

"They are great," he said of Negaunee's dispatchers. "You couldn't ask for a better, professionally run organization."

Mr. Tracy also praised Negaunee's dispatchers.

"In no way did this decision reflect the professionalism, care, compassion, and service of the Negaunee dispatchers," he said. "We have nothing but praise for them."

Before a contract can be completed, Chippewa County needs to install an emergency alert system to police and ambulance radios. The automatic alert system gives the radio user the ability to press a button on digital radios that signals the dispatch center that they are in distress and need immediate assistance or more back-up.

Chippewa County Central Dispatch is expected to have the system in place by September.

"If there was no receiver for this system in place before September, we wouldn't be making the switch," said M. Tracy, "but they were already planning to install it before we made our decision, and it should be up and running before September."

Chippewa County will pay for the $65,000 installation.

Even though the state offered a three-year contract April 8 that reduced its rate to the same $120,000 Chippewa County was offering, the board voted for the Chippewa County contract.

Much of the board favored Chippewa County not only for the cost savings but for assurances that Mackinac will be a part of future planning and administrative decisions, something board members complained they were not part of with Negaunee. Some said the state's decision to transfer administrative control from Negaunee to Lansing made them feel even more alienated from state planning.

Mr. Tracy will represent Mackinac County on a three-person board that will oversee Chippewa County's dispatch center, although ultimate decisions are made by Chippewa County Board of Commissioners.

Mr. Matelski, like the other two board members who wanted to stay with Negaunee, believes that, despite higher costs in the coming years, the county should stay with Negaunee owing to the fact that the system works and residents and emergency response agencies know what they are getting.

"I know what I have right now, and that is a professionally run organization in Negaunee," said Chief Matelski during an interview with The St. Ignace News Monday, April 14. "I don't know Chippewa County's."

Mr. Matelski has concerns that Chippewa County's around-theclock system with two dispatchers may not be able to cover the numerous calls that come in from Mackinac County, especially during unplanned events.

"What happens if the bridge closes?" he asked. "I think the quality of service could decline because, with Negaunee, we were always promised to have four dispatchers on. Will Chippewa County be able to cover unplanned events? I don't know."

Tim McKee, Chippewa County's emergency 911 coordinator, told The St. Ignace News in March that his dispatch center has two dispatchers on duty at all times, and, with the addition of two counties to his system, a third dispatcher may be added during peak hours of the day. Negaunee had five dispatchers available during the day and four during the evenings, according to Pam Matelski.

Lt. Hopper argued that opting for the less expensive service is not always best.

"Negaunee provides a superior service," said Lt. Hopper. "Not to say that Chippewa County won't. I know I'm obliged to go with the state because I'm with the state police but, much more than that is the unknown with Chippewa County. I voted no because I believe we should stay with what I know and feel is a good system."

Now that Mackinac County has chosen decided on which dispatch service to go with, Mr. McKee is looking forward to the new partnership with Mackinac and Luce counties.

"I think it's a good thing that Chippewa, Luce, and Mackinac, all close neighbors, are working together, finally," said Mr. McKee. "It's definitely a positive thing."

Other members of the Mackinac County Central Dispatch Board are county commissioners Larry Leveille and Calvin McPhee, Mackinac County Sheriff Scott Strait, St. Ignace Fire Chief John "Bucky" Robinson, Allied EMS coordinator Mark Wilk, Mackinac County Emergency Services manager Mike Kasper, Clark Township Ambulance Corps member Mark Merchberger, Garfield Township Supervisor Cleo Smith, Clark Township Assistant Fire Chief Clark O'Brien, Mackinac County Emergency Services Coordinator Mike Kasper, and Sheriff Deputy Tim Ahlborn, who holds the citizen at large position on the board.