Dispatching calls for the Oxford Fire Department will continue to be done locally thanks to a contract approved 4-3 by township officials Feb. 8.
The three-year, $165,268 contract will allow the village police dispatch center to continue receiving and dispatching all fire/EMS calls within the township and village.
Under the contract, the township will pay $53,469 for dispatch services in 2006 (a 3 percent increase over last year), $55,073 in 2007 and $56,726 in 2008.
Clerk Clara Sanderson along with trustees Sue Bellairs and Doleen Behnke voted against the contract.
The previous dispatch contract expired with the court-ordered dissolution of the Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission, the fire department’s former governing body. The township now oversees the department.
As a result, the township board had ‘loosely? agreed to continue with village dispatch for six months, but Treasurer Joe Ferrari felt something more concrete was needed. ‘I think to protect ourselves and the fire department, we need to adopt a formal agreement,? he said.
Supervisor Bill Dunn’s main concern was that the contract have an ‘out? if needed.
The agreement states it can be terminated by either the township or village, ‘with or without cause? as long as four months written notice is given.
Resident Helen Barwig asked if any price comparisons were made with Oakland County Sheriff’s dispatch center in Pontiac.
Dunn said he did receive up-to-date prices from Undersheriff Mike McCabe.
County quoted Oxford prices (including phone lines) of $23,152 for the first year, $24,866 for year two and $26,744 for the third year.
County’s dispatch quoted included the caveat, ‘This rate includes all costs associated with Oakland County dispatching for Oxford Fire Department except for any equipment costs that may be necessary at the fire department.?
The costs on the fire department’s end could be ‘in excess of $100,000? depending on what radio system is used and what equipment is necessary to operate it, according to a rought estimate by Fire Chief Jack LeRoy.
Dunn noted the county’s numbers didn’t change the fire department’s immediate need for dispatch services to continue uninterrupted.
‘If we chose tonight to go over to the county, it’s going to take a few months to do that,? he said. ‘We have to make sure we have dispatch services now.?