By Steve Contorno, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Original publication date: Nov. 16

Ashwaubenon, Wis. — Brown County takes over the village’s dispatching duties for police, fire and emergency medical services beginning today.

The Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety has handled the calls in-house since 1982, but agreed to merge with the Brown County Public Safety Communications Center earlier this year to streamline services and save money.

“We have to take a look at duplication of processes in tough economic times,” said Eric Dunning, chief of public safety for Ashwaubenon. “As a village taxpayer, you’re paying not only village taxes but county taxes as well, so why pay for the same service twice?”

Dunning estimated the change could save the village $200,000 a year in salaries and benefits.

Brown County has always responded to 9-1-1 calls for the village and will now take over dispatching duties as well. Green Bay and De Pere joined the county’s public communication system in 2000.

Last year, Dunning’s staff responded to approximately 20,000 service and police calls, 1,400 emergency medical calls and 250 fire calls.

“This is a perfect example of regional cooperation and cooperation with another governmental unit,” village President Mike Aubinger said at last week’s Public Works and Protection meeting.

Residents should not notice a difference in service, unless they go to Village Hall outside of work hours to file a police report. While assistance will be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, residents will need to use a foyer phone to contact the Brown County communications center and have an officer dispatched to the lobby during off hours.

Dunning said one immediate advantage of the new system will be increased communication in situations that require response by emergency units from multiple municipalities. Previously, officers from Ashwaubenon could not communicate via radio with their counterparts in Green Bay, even if they were both on scene at the same location.

The transition to the new system was originally slated for the start of 2011, but the village and county decided to move ahead early after both sides lost personnel. Dunning said considerable time has been spent in recent weeks to work out any kinks and ensure the process hasn’t been rushed. “I have faith with what we’ve done and I have faith with everyone at Brown County and their IT directors. If something wasn’t working we would’ve put a halt to it,” he said.

Posted with permission of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.