Consolidation to Remove Dispatchers from Speedway

(posted 8.22.09)

By 2015, Speedway residents will no longer send their 911 calls directly to Speedway's police and fire dispatch center.

Like the other excluded towns, Speedway will lose its independent dispatch center due to the state's Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) consolidation plans that took effect in 2008. House Enrolled Act 1204 limits each county to only two PSAPs, with the exception of Marion County. Marion County will be able to retain PSAPs at IUPUI and Indianapolis International Airport. MECA (Metropolitan Emergency Communications Agency) operates the city's dispatch office on State Avenue, with a backup PSAP in Perry Township.

To prepare for the change, MECA is sending out surveys to the excluded towns of Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport and Speedway to gather space and staffing requirements in order to build a sufficiently sized facility.

At the August 5 MECA meeting, the board discussed developing regional dispatch centers that would include the donut counties. MECA officials plan to meet with outlying county officials on August 24. IUPUI is open to discussions to join the consolidation. IAA Communications Manager Andrew Burnett said the airport is not interested in consolidating and will maintain its exempt status granted by the state law. He said it would not be practical, even though MECA and the airport are on the same system, because their operations differ.

Speedway Police Chief Jeff Dine expressed his concerns about the consolidation at a June 30 meeting.

He urged the PSAP Consolidation Committee to create a policy board to give excluded cities and towns representation to make sure they have input in the process. He is concerned about saving current employees' jobs and the loss of funding. He said when the bill was originally proposed, Marion County was exempt, and he is concerned about maintaining a high quality service to Speedway residents.

Although only one dispatcher resides in town, the majority of dispatchers have worked in Speedway long enough to be familiar with local landmarks, street names and businesses, giving them the ability to locate 911 calls from cell phone callers who might not be able to give accurate descriptions of their location. Area familiarity can also be an officer safety issue when working with police units in vehicle or foot pursuits. Speedway's three senior dispatchers have over 60 years of service with the town.