Santa Cruz Regional 911 conducting feasibility study
As local cities debate whether to break from Monterey County’s dispatch services, Santa Cruz Regional 911 is preparing for some of those to join its ranks.
It has been asked to conduct a study to see if its facility could house more 911 services. The facility already receives half a million calls a year. That could double if Monterey County were to join.
“You deal with the workflow as it comes in,” Kristine Ebersole, dispatcher said. “And there are some days where we don’t have anything going on, other days its super busy with a lot of emergencies and a lot of stuff going on.”
Longtime dispatcher Kristine Ebersole remembers 2011, when San Benito County and Hollister moved into their 911 call center in Santa Cruz.
“It was a challenge to learn a new channel and the new geography and things like that and tune your ear into how they sound on the radio,” Ebersole said.
It was a small transition compared to what could happen in two years if cities in Monterey County also decide to join their ranks. But first – a feasibility study will be done to find out if it’s even possible, the costs and weather the current 911 center could support more people.
“We didn’t have to redesign this room,” Dennis Kidd, general manager of Santa Cruz Regional 911 said. “We had empty consoles that they just plugged right into. That is not the case for Monterey County. Monterey County would require a much bigger operation so the transition for San Benito county was much easier.”
Santa Cruz Regional 911 invites officers and firefighters in San Benito and Hollister to the facility and encourage dispatchers to go on ride-alongs, all part of familiarizing the teams and the areas they cover.
Ebersole says after a few months, operations between all of the San Benito County agencies were dialed in.
“It was a challenge,” Ebersole explained, “There were some stressful times but I think it worked out pretty well.”
The feasibility study will be completed in June. The results will be made public either June or July.
