By Stacia Matthews, 6News, TheIndyChannel.com
Original publication date: Jan. 3

Beech Grove, Ind. — Starting this week, 911 calls made in Beech Grove will be answered in Indianapolis, a move authorities are reassuring residents won’t affect response time.

The emergency dispatch center in Beech Grove will close Wednesday to comply with a new state law mandating counties have no more than two such facilities by 2014, 6News’ Stacia Matthews reported.

Currently, Marion County has a total of four 911 call centers in Beech Grove, Indianapolis Speedway and Lawrence.

“We, as a city, have decided to be one of the first to comply with that,” said Beech Grove Police Chief Bill Witmer, although he called the transition, “unbelievably hard on all levels.”

“I don’t know if all of that money will be saved,” he said. “There’s no textbook for it, but this is a big deal for Beech Grove.”

The city’s emergency dispatch center, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, originally employed nine dispatchers and operated on a budget of roughly $450,000.

Of the six remaining employees, Witmer said two have retired and three have found similar jobs with other agencies.

Bud Templin, a dispatcher for 30 years who also serves on the Beech Grove City Council, is taking a new job at St. Francis Hospital, but he said he doesn’t agree with the change.

“The dispatchers offer more than 911 calls. They answer calls to all services, including public works, answering various questions and helping the police department 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

Some residents have voiced concerns about dispatchers in a different city answering local 911 calls, but authorities said public safety won’t be compromised. Beech Grove police officers will still be dispatched to those calls.

“Of the sample we took in December, our dispatchers answered 911calls with an average delay of two seconds,” said Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Joe McAtee. “That’s pretty incredible and that’s not going to change. We’re going to keep it up.”

Posted with permission from TheIndyChannel.com.