Spokane, WA – Tensions between the City of Spokane and Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC) have led the city to plan a departure from the regional system.
Mayor Lisa Brown supports House Bill 1258, which would shift the 9-1-1 excise tax from being based on population to call volume.
Brown argues the bill is necessary after SREC excluded the Spokane Fire Department from its services.
“It certainly does not seem fair to me for them to take the funds that were generated by the people of Spokane and build a facility that will not be used by the people of Spokane,” said Brown.
However, county law enforcement groups oppose the bill, fearing it could create funding gaps for rural areas.
Brown said Spokane is in the early stages of planning its own dispatch system focused on fast response times and highly trained dispatchers.
“[It’s about] response times and highly trained dispatchers… I also want us to think about the wellbeing of dispatchers because having sat with them, it’s a very trauma-inducing job that they have,” she said.
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