Westport 911 Emergency Dispatch Joins Regional Center In Fairfield

WESTPORT, CT — Westport's 911 emergency services dispatch, which handles police and fire emergency calls from both Westport and New Canaan, will move on Wednesday to the new Fairfield County Regional Dispatch Center in Fairfield, Westport officials announced.

The joint venture between Westport and Fairfield has been in the works for several years, with Fairfield moving into the combined dispatch center, located at Sacred Heart University, approximately one year ago.

Westport residents will not see any change to the services they have come to expect, officials said. All calls will be routed to the new dispatch center, where civilian call takers and civilian dispatchers will handle all calls for service.

The knowledge and expertise of Westport that our civilian dispatchers possess will not be lost as they are moving to the new center, said Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas.

"As we commence forward with the merger tomorrow, we only expect to provide a better service to the citizens of the towns of Fairfield and Westport, with better access to public safety in one combined dispatch center," Koskinas said in a statement Tuesday. "Our officers, firefighters, and emergency telecommunicators working in conjunction with each other, in one center, will enhance the level of service provided to our communities. Our telecommunicators are the first line of public safety and the important job that they perform should be commended daily."

The union representing dispatchers, last week, sought to delay Wednesday's merger, because the group said more cross-training was needed. The police and fire chiefs of Fairfield and Westport, however, said they are confident the merger will go smoothly, in large part because of the advanced technology being used, and the professionalism of the telecommunicators.

"At the FCRD, there will be a call taker and a dispatcher to help expedite dispatch efforts to handle emergency situations more effectively," said Westport Fire Chief Michael Kronick. "Additionally, the FCRD includes built-in redundancy and an extra level of back-up to keep emergency communications operational should the need arise."

The public is reminded that they are always welcome to visit the Westport Police Department with questions or emergencies.

"If you prefer to call us, our non-emergency phone number will remain the same at (203) 341-6000 or 911 in the event of an emergency," officials said. "Additionally, every firehouse has an outside phone available to report emergencies."