The members of the Westfield Public Safety Communications Commission – from left, chairperson Ana Nunez, John Camerota, Richard Emmings, Lenore Bernashe and Mary Regan – interview a candidate, Richard Greenaway of Westfield, for a position as a per diem dispatcher in the newly formed Public Safety Communications Department, The director of the department, John W. Medley, is seated at the end of the table. (File photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD -The city created a new department this past year by combining the dispatch functions of the Police and Fire departments. The new The Public Safety Communications Commission met for the first time in October, since the department was created by an ordinance approved by the City Council in March.
That ordinance consolidated the function of the city’s police, fire and ambulance emergency dispatch operations into a new department that came on line on July 1, 2012, the beginning of the 2013 fiscal year, to comply with a state mandate.
The Public Safety Communications Commission was also established through that ordinance. The ordinance requires that the police chief, fire chief and technology center director be members of the new board, with the remaining members nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
The five member panel met for the first time on Oct. 24, 2012 to begin oversight of the new Public Safety Communications Department, electing Anna Nunez to serve as its chairwoman.
Public Safety Communications director John W. Medley reported on the status of the department’s personnel and budget, two issues still in a state of flux as the emergency dispatch operations evolve as an independent department. Those functions had been performed through the police and fire departments, with personnel assigned in each department and through separate budget line items.
Medley said that the department’s budget is still being adjusted. The City Council approved fund transfers to the new department from both the police and fire budgets at its Oct. 18 session. The council also approved internal transfers within the department and appropriations from the city’s stabilization account.
Medley said that the department is relying on overtime funding because two emergency medical dispatch employees are out on family/medical leave act (FMLA) status and a third dispatcher has submitted her resignation, effective next week.
Medley said the positions have been posted and that he is in the process of interviewing candidates for both permanent appointment and per diem hiring. The emergency medical dispatcher contract allows the department to hire on a per diem basis for employees out on FMLA status. Medley said that seven to eight applicants have applied for the positions, and that most of those candidates currently hold the licenses and certificates required by the state for emergency medical dispatch functions.
Police Chief John Camerota said that because the board is now functional, personnel matters, such as appointments, have to come before the board.
