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Hernando Today

Fire Bosses To Vote On Dispatch Center Tonight

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: February 25, 2009

SPRING HILL - The long-awaited vote on the emergency center is finally going to happen tonight.

After putting off the final decision until after the election, the Spring Hill Fire Rescue Board of Fire Commissioners will address the issue tonight.

Will it remain operational or will the 911 calls be dispatched through the county?

"I'm hoping for it to be resolved," said Chief Mike Rampino. "The people who work in that department deserve closure."

There are seven full-time employees and two who work part-time in the communication center. The seven full-time dispatchers will be reassigned to other departments if the five-member board decides to have a contract with the county.

The part-time workers could possibly lose their jobs, Rampino said.

The chief does not see the district saving money if the center is disbanded. At best, it will avoid adding more salaried jobs to the budget in the future, he said.

"In the last nine to 10 years, we've increased field operations ... by 38 people," Rampino said. "We have not increased administrative staff at all during that time."

The dispatchers would give the chief the freedom to shuffle employees around rather than hire new ones to fill positions, he said.

Some of them might be trained to respond to calls for patients with mild illnesses or injuries, from flu-like symptoms to cuts and scrapes, Rampino said.

Fire commissioner Amy Brosnan said she has visited both dispatch centers. She wouldn't divulge how she would vote or which way she was leaning, but she was looking forward to hearing tonight's comments from the public.

"We need to spend money wisely and we need to see how the decision will affect our taxpayers," she said. "We also have to think about the budget."

Fire commissioner Rob Giammarco has made it known in the past he thinks contracting with the county would save money in the long run. He also has sided with those who have complained about the extra seconds it takes for emergency calls to be transferred from the county dispatch center to the district operators.

"I'm not unopposed to what the chief will present, but we also have to realize the safety and the welfare of the people," he said. "Having two dispatch centers isn't conducive."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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