Chippewa County Dispatch Merger - FOX 25/48 - WLAX/WEUX La Crosse & Eau Claire News

After years of discussion, Chippewa County is inching closer to combining its dispatch center with Chippewa Falls, which could decrease response time in emergencies.

"It'd be a win for the city, for the county, it would be good for the citizens of Chippewa County," Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman said. "I'm very confident that we'll get this accomplished this time."

He said the best possible benefit is not having to make calls between the two, decreasing response time, which could save lives.

"It takes time to contact the county, the county in turn has to contact the police department, or however the configuration is, and every time someone is contacting someone, you're losing precious time," Hoffman said.

County board supervisor Roger Kressin said another benefit is sharing records.

"It won't have to be transferred from the city to the county, it's just gonna save repetition and make record keeping so much better," Kressin said.

Hoffman said it's not just a cost saving measure, but that the city won't have to upgrade it's own equipment, which could save hundreds of thousands of dollars. He said city dispatchers could move to the county dispatch center and city taxes wouldn't go up.

"I think everyone is ready to move forward and make this happen," Hoffman said.

"I'd like to see it get done. I think it's so much benefit for each, county and the city that it's time to get it done," Kressin said.

Hoffman said the plans will likely be addressed at a meeting on Oct. 2, where a vote is possible, and if all goes as planned, the centers could combine by next summer.