Brockport considering change to county 911 system

In a move that could potentially save $1.2 million in taxpayer dollars over a four-year period, Village of Brockport officials are considering moving their emergency dispatching services to Monroe County's 911 service.

Mayor Josephine Matela said the change to a 911 service was discussed at a recent board workshop. "Police Chief Daniel Varrenti and I met with (Monroe County Executive) Jack Doyle to look at our options," she said. "We're discussing protocol and exploring the possibilities."

Matela said the county's 911 service is a resource Brockport has not taken advantage of. "When we discuss duplication of services and consolidation ... this is an obvious duplication," she said. "The county has a first class 911 operation and we are the only village not taking advantage of that service."

Along with discussing how changes would occur, Matela said there would have to be an agreement that the village's three full time dispatchers' positions would be absorbed by the county.

This type of change would take a while to implement, she said, and it is just in the talking stages at this time. Varrenti and Communications Coordinator Daniel Zimmer have met with county officials and Varrenti is meeting again April 26 with representatives from the 911 system.

"The board asked me to conduct a feasibility study," Varrenti said. 'We have to determine the benefits and/or deficits a change like this would entail for the residents of this community."

He said it would be premature to say whether a switch to Monroe County's 911 system would be a good one for the village. "This won't be done as a giant leap," he said. "It would be done incrementally but only once a sufficient amount of information has been gathered to assist in our decision making."

To think of moving the village's services to the county as a purely cost-cutting measure, Varrenti said, would not be in the best interest of the safety of the residents.

Calls to Fire Chief Gregory Wing were not returned by press time.