Regional Dispatch Station Could Move From Mansfield To Foxborough

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The regional dispatch center planned for Mansfield could move to Foxborough, according to new conversations

Rob Verdone, the executive director of the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Emergency Communications Center (SMRECC), told the selectmen that the old High Rock AT&T communications center could be the site for the new regional dispatch center. The dispatch operations for Foxborough, Mansfield, Norton, and Easton were expected to move into the current Mansfield police station when the new public safety building opens in 2019, but the new building could mean and earlier opening for the four-town dispatch center.

The department's proposed budget includes $30,000 for a structural analysis of the building.

"It has a strong possibility to be a much more resilient and more appropriate spot for a critical structure like a 911 center for four towns," Verdone said.

Town Manager Bill Keegan said they looked at Mansfield because that was the one available facility at the time, but have recently learned the former AT&T building could be obtained through a donation from its current owner, American Tower. That possibility is more favorable to state officials, according to Keegan.

All four towns are excited about the building because unlike the Mansfield Police Station, this building does not require a renovation, Keegan said.

The other three towns are excited about the new building because there are fewer challenges and requires less renovation.

"It's built ideally for this use. It's a concrete structure you couldn't afford to build today. What's particularly interesting about the site is that it has perfect line of site distance to all the towns it would serve," Keegan said.

The site is located right off of Route 1 and is next to the Gilbert State Forest. It can be accessed by Route 1 and two abandoned roads that will need some work before they can be accessed.

The Mansfield building is not out of the running. Keegan said if the analysis is not favorable, they will keep the dispatch center in Mansfield.

According to a fact sheet distributed at a meeting earlier this year in Mansfield, a new center would allow dispatchers to be able to locate and handle 911 calls from cell phones. Currently, they go through the state police before they are transferred to a local dispatcher.

If approved, the center would be run by a director, with a supervisor and four dispatchers per shift. Town officials say the four towns will not spend more than they currently do and could see savings.

Image: File Photo