Hoosick Falls Dispatch Service Ends April 30

Calls Will Be Transferred To Troy May 1; Response Time Quicker
by Alex Brooks
Saturday, April 30 will be the last day of operation for the Hoosick Falls Dispatch office. Starting on Sunday, May 1, emergency calls will go directly to the County Dispatch office in Troy.
County and municipal officials have been preparing for this day for over a year, since the decision was made in March of 2010 to consider this change. Hoosick Falls Police Chief Robert Ashe said, “We’re prepared. From the point of view of someone calling 911, nothing is changed. Response times will be, if anything, quicker.”
The Hoosick Falls Dispatch phone number, 686-7900, will connect to the County Dispatch office after the changeover, so if people call the old number instead of calling 911, no time will be lost.
County Director of Public Safety Kelly Paslow and Chief Ashe both said that far from losing anything by the changeover, they expect the system to work better, because it streamlines the system to have just one dispatch office involved in a call rather than two. The County office also has some technological advantages, such as systems for locating where the phone is that someone is calling from. Paslow said the new system will result in “a quicker exchange of information.”
Hoosick Falls Mayor Matthew Monahan said communications equipment on the Fairbanks Road tower is being upgraded to give the County Dispatch office better communications with emergency responders in the Hoosick area. He said radio coverage in the area will be equal to or better than what it was under the existing system. These upgrades are paid for by the County with grant funding.
The Hoosick Falls Dispatch office costs the Village about $166,000 per year to operate. The Village has a contract with the County to handle dispatch which will cost it $12,000 per year for the next five years. The Village will not realize the full savings in this first year because they will be paying unemployment for those laid off from the Hoosick Falls Dispatch office but will eventually see a savings of approximately $150,000 per year resulting from this change.
The County Dispatch people have been furnished with a full set of local contact information, so if someone calls with a non-emergency problem they can be furnished with the appropriate referral, just as the local office would have done. They also have emergency contact information for the Mayor, Highway Superintendent, Water Superintendent and other local officials who may need to respond to emergency situations.
Deputy County Executive Chris Meyer noted that three of the County dispatchers live in Hoosick Falls, so there is some local knowledge among that group. He also noted that experienced County dispatchers have sent emergency personnel to all corners of the County and have picked up quite a bit of local knowledge through on the job experience. They have been responding to calls in remote parts of eastern Rensselaer County for many years in the towns south of Hoosick.
There will be a one-button emergency phone on the outside of the Municipal Building, so someone coming to the municipal building in person will have a quick and easy way to speak with the County Dispatch office and get an emergency response. There will also be a 12 button emergency phone inside the lobby of the municipal building, with access to various municipal departments to notify them of emergency situations.
Police and fire officials have asked everyone to post 911 addresses on their homes so they can be clearly seen from the road. This will help emergency responders to quickly find the house they are looking for. Residents may call the Town or Village offices for information on how to get 911 address signs made up.
Meyer said Hoosick Falls will remain a backup site for the County Dispatch, which means a fully functional console will remain in place in Hoosick Falls which can be used if need be. He said on the day of the changeover, the County will have personnel in Hoosick to deal with any snafus, but he expects a smooth and seamless changeover.