Local Leaders Unite for Ceremonial Signing to Create Joint Dispatch Center

Leon County Commission Chairman Ed DePuy, City of Tallahassee Mayor John Marks, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, Tallahassee Police Chief Walter McNeil, Leon County Emergency Medical Services Chief Tom Quillin, Tallahassee Fire Chief Cindy Dick, County Administrator Parwez Alam, and City Manager Anita Favors Thompson signed a monumental agreement on Dec. 13, 2006, that will ensure the creation of a joint dispatch center for the purposes of dispatching all law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services. The ceremonial signing took place in the Capitol Courtyard and included remarks from both County Commission Chairman DePuy and City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey, who are the lead negotiators on this issue for their respective governments, as well as Sheriff Campbell and Chief McNeil.

Currently, the City dispatches units with the Tallahassee Police Department and the Tallahassee Fire Department, while the Leon County Sheriff’s Office dispatches units with the Sheriff’s Office and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. A joint dispatch center for law enforcement and emergency personnel has been a priority for the County and City Commissions and the Sheriff for many years.

Dispatching emergency calls from one dispatch center will allow for more efficient response to and deployment of both emergency and non-emergency calls, which will greatly enhance the public’s safety.