Dane County's two emergency response agencies will remain separate entities, following a unanimous recommendation from a panel that studied the issue.
Debate over whether to merge the Department of Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications Department (commonly called the 911 Center) was sparked by former County Executive Kathleen Falk, but the study panel concluded that a merger could compromise the level of service provided by both departments.
"Following an extensive review we concluded that the cost savings to the county was not sufficient to merge these two critically important public safety agencies," said Supervisor Paul Rusk, chair of the Public Protection and Judiciary Committee.
Rusk said merging the two agencies would save the county about $70,000 the first year and about $30,000 per year thereafter. "Finances are very tight for county governments, so I don't want to give the wrong impression ... The county budget is $500 million. It's just not worth it to have all that angst over $30,000," he said.
Currently, the Department of Emergency Management is responsible for preparing, responding and recovering from all types of emergencies or disasters. The 911 Center handles emergency calls and dispatches the proper departments from a central location. It serves as the dispatcher for most of Dane County's municipalities.
Talks of merging the agencies arose when Kathy Krusiec retired as director of Emergency Managment earlier this year. Krusiec served as director of both agencies for a nine-month period while the 911 Center was searching for a new director. She told the panel that it was "not a sustainable model," according to Rusk.
Josh Wescott, chief of staff to Joe Parisi, represented the county executive's office on the panel. Wescott said Parisi wouldn't pursue a merger of the agencies, but the issue could be revisited in a few years.
He cited the implementation of a $17 million Inter-Operable Radio Communications system, a $5 million computer-aided dispatch system and a new severe-weather siren system as reasons why the county decided not to consolidate the agencies.
The county is continuing to search for ways to cut into an $8 million budget deficit for 2012. On Tuesday Parisi also announced a new five-year agreement with insurer Physicians Plus that will save the county more than $1 million next year.
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