HOW WOULD YOU VOTE?

I am going to provide you with the FACTS surrounding the Lisbon Communication Center and ask you if the Town Council made the right decision.  Remember, the SOLE job of a Councilor is to do what is in the best interest of the community.   To close the Lisbon Communication Center or not was voted on February 21, 2017.  The vote of 4-3 was NOT to close the Lisbon Communication Center.

Here is a listing of the PRO’s and CON’s presented to the Council by many many people.  The following are the PROs:

1.     Having Androscoggin County Dispatcher dispatch our First Responders means they get to the scene quicker.

2.     Having Androscoggin County Dispatch dispatch our EMT’s ensures they have the Emergency Medical Code they desperately need.

3.     Arrival to the scene with an Emergency Medical Code, gives the victim a better change of surveille.

4.     The initial cost saving, provided by the Town Manager was $191,095.00.

5.     There would be an additional cost saving to the community every year because we are reducing the town’s operating cost.

6.     The consolidation of the records management system enables our officers to be able to identify more criminals much quicker.  They would have access to a larger dbase.

7.     Lisbon is the ONLY town in Maine NOT to have a PSAP providing dispatch services to the community.  The E911 system is using in every state in American and parts of Europe.  This is a proving system.

The following are the CONs:

 
            1.     There would be no one at the Police Department during off-duty hours.

2.     The “Good Old Boys” network would lose a little control.

3.     None of the Lisbon dispatchers are qualified as Emergency Medical Dispatcher and therefore cannot provide the critical Emergency Medial Code to the EMTs. 

4.     Four or five dispatchers will lose their jobs.

This is the information provided to the Town Council.  If you were a Councilor how would you vote?

Now for the rest of the story that was never mentioned by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, Chief of Police, Marc Hagan, and Sergeant Moore during the discussion.  On March 21, 2017 while presenting the 2017-2018 Municipal budgets, Diane Barnes said the communication center will need $33,500.00 for upgrades.  This was approximately a month from the decision on the communication center.  Why wasn’t it brought up before during the discussion?  Why hide it from the Town Council and does it make a difference on your vote?

 Well you have the facts and now is the time to vote.  If you think the right thing would be to close the Lisbon Communication Center, call you Councilor and voice your concerns.

Larry Fillmore