WESTFIELD- The City Council voted unanimously June 17 to approve an Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA) with Southwick to create a regional dispatch system between the two communities.
The IMA was signed by Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr. June 18. It will now be voted on by the Southwick Select Board before it can be signed by Southwick Chief Administrative Officer Karl J. Stinehart. Once it has been signed, grant funding can be released by the state to begin the process of building out the infrastructure.
The Select Board vote is expected to take place next week, though no meeting agenda has been posted on Southwick’s website as of press time on June 18.
“It opens up the door for millions of dollars of grants that Westfield otherwise would not get if they remained on their dispatch and Southwick remained on their own dispatch,” said Ward 6 City Councilor William Onyski.
Onyski and Ward 4 City Councilor Michael Burns had voted to advance the IMA from the Legislation and Ordinance Committee June 15. Onyski said he estimates that Westfield could receive $1 million in grant funding. He said Westfield’s current emergency dispatch budget is approximately $750,000, but could go down as low as $20,000 with the grant funding.
The needed infrastructure would include a fiber connection between Westfield and Southwick and a backup microwave radio as well.
“They feel that they can get this going in about 18 months. If not, state grants could come in with, say, $700,000. Then Westfield and Southwick will do $700,000 worth of work and wait until the next grant cycle, get more money and complete the work,” said Onyski.
Onyski thanked Public Safety Communications Director Nina Barszcz for leading the effort to get the IMA done.
Burns said that he thinks the partnership with Southwick will allow Westfield to be open for other communities to join as well.
“This is a win-win, especially for us, and for Southwick,” said Burns.
At-Large City Councilor David Flaherty said he and city officials had been advocating for a regional dispatch system for years.
“This is the kind of thing that can save the city money and help us solve some of the long term things I am looking at,” said Flaherty.
At-Large City Councilor Kristen Mello called dispatchers “the unsung heroes” of law enforcement.
