By Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, October 14, 2010
TAMPA — A Hillsborough County proposal to consolidate 911 emergency services got a lukewarm reception at a workshop Thursday.
County Commissioner Mark Sharpe led the discussion, telling representatives from the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City, as well as the University of South Florida, MacDill Air Force Base and others, that the county will pay to study the issue if there's interest from other public safety agencies.
Sharpe said that in a time of tight budgets, consolidating emergency operations might save money. A yearlong study, he said, would determine how best to move forward. The cost of the study hasn't been determined.
Tampa police Chief Jane Castor urged caution. She said her department already works well with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and previous studies have determined there is little value in consolidating 911 services.
"All consolidations are not created equal," agreed Darrell Smith, chief of staff for Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.
Lt. Meg Ross of the USF police department voiced her reservations even more forcefully, saying parents and students at the university count on an emergency call system dedicated to them that allows for quick response times.
"We're concerned we could lose some services for our community," she said.
Sharpe promised that any efforts to merge services would consider each agency's needs.
"It's all about, really, enhancing the service," he said. "We just want to make things better."
Sharpe said he will schedule another workshop for early next year to review previous studies on the topic.
Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.