Base unveils plan to combine emergency dispatch centers

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Megan P. Lyon
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- --  The base fire department and security forces control center here plan to merge their emergency 911 dispatch centers into a consolidated organization within the next fiscal year.

"It's still in the preliminary stages, but the plan is to have the fire department and security forces cohabitate a single building for emergency dispatch," said Cliff Lewis, base fire chief.

The current plan calls for housing the new dispatch center at the fire station in Bldg. 206.

"There is still plenty of leg work and design to deal with now, Chief Lewis said. "Currently, the squadrons are still looking at obtaining a contract to build this program up with plans for the medical emergency dispatch to merge in later."

Mountain Home's initiative is similar to dispatch consolidation idea talked about for years throughout the Air Force, added Chief Master Sgt. Nicholas H. Liberti, 366th Security Forces Squadron's squadron superintendent.

"It makes sense to have them co-located and provide a single point of contact for any type of emergency that may arise," the chief said.

"A part of what we see with civilian dispatch centers is that they are more efficient and streamlined over the separate military emergency dispatches," Chief Liberti added.

The events of 9/11 reaffirmed the need to have first responders in one location, according to Chief Liberti. That day played a large part in bringing this decision about."

Other bases already moved forward with the initiative. McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., opened a consolidated emergency response center in early 2006 featuring elements of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's security forces and fire department dispatch agencies.