Rockland is looking to take over the emergency dispatch service for Knox County, which has been unable to accept 911 calls since late summer because of a staffing shortage.
However, Knox County officials say there have been no formal discussions with the city about changes in the management of the regional communications center.
The Rockland City Council voted unanimously Monday to take over management of the dispatch center, according to the Courier-Gazette. For now, emergency calls in Knox County have been routed to Waldo County dispatchers.
Officials at the Rockland meeting expressed concern over the interim arrangement, which local agencies have said is leading to wait times. In a previous meeting on March 6, Fire Chief Chris Whytock said that “the citizens of Rockland are getting screwed,” the Courier-Gazette reported.
Rockland councilors authorized sending a letter to the Knox County Commission stating the city’s intent to manage the dispatch center, which would stay in the same facility and be led by Police Chief Tim Carroll and Whytock, according to the Courier-Gazette.
In response to the city’s decision, the county’s interim manager, Gordon Page Sr., said that it has made “great progress” in addressing the staffing shortages and making other improvements at the dispatch center.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Knox County Regional Communications Center is closed. It also did not mention that county officials have not agreed to Rockland taking over the center.
