Officials from Charlotte County and the city of Punta Gorda are working together to evaluate whether consolidating their 911 dispatch centers is a feasible and beneficial move.
A new task force, which includes county staff, the sheriff’s office, and Punta Gorda’s police and fire chiefs, has been formed to explore the idea. While the city has historically opposed consolidation, police Chief Pam Smith said they are open to learning.
“As you know, the city has been against the consolidation,” Smith said. “But we are actually interested in learning, does it work in other areas? And can it be done collaboratively? And will it benefit the city?”
The conversation around merging dispatch services is not new. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has pushed for consolidation for several years, citing staffing concerns as a key reason to revisit the issue now.
“We need to remember the sheriff needs to staff that center out there,” County Commissioner Ken Doherty said. “Employees need to be a consideration. We can’t drag this on.”
Despite the renewed collaboration, both city chiefs remain cautious. Smith raised concerns that combining dispatch services could lead to slower response times and radio congestion.
“That is my main concern,” she said. “We’re pretty busy. And the fire department, they’re 10 times busier when it comes to their calls. We don’t want to see ourselves get dispatched later because the county is busy.”
Still, Smith sees potential if the system is designed correctly. She proposed keeping current protocols in place while housing all dispatchers in one location for better coordination.
“We can all be on the same system,” she said. “So the thought of, ‘Oh, they’re in the same room, they can share information right away’ — absolutely. That would work.”
County commissioners say transparency and detailed research are essential before making any final decisions.
“I need to know what these other consolidated counties are doing to make that work,” Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said. “Where everybody has a seat at the table and no one person is calling the shots.”
The task force has been given 30 days to provide an update to the board. Commissioners expect to hold an official meeting to discuss the next steps during their first session in July.