DaytonDailyNews.com

Public safety officials in communities that gave up their own emergency dispatch centers to contract with a regional dispatch center in the last two years said they're generally satisfied with the service they've received so far, though that service hasn't been perfect.

Communication problems cropped up Thursday, the first day the regional dispatch center operated out of its new headquarters in Miamisburg, and the glitches may have contributed to a delay in getting fire crews to a house that burned down in Harrison Twp.

But police officials in Miamisburg and Germantown and the Trotwood fire chief said they weren't worried that Thursday's problems indicate contracting with the regional center was a mistake.

"I'm one of those people who had to be dragged kicking and screaming about giving up our dispatch center," said Brookville Police Chief Roy McGill. "But I have to say those people have been great. Any time an issue has come up, and there haven't been many, they've been all over it getting things straightened out."

Germantown was one of the first communities to agree to close down its police and fire dispatch operations to contract with the new regional center in 2007, and McGill said the move saved the city about $100,000 a year. He said those savings have diminished now because fees the center charges per dispatch increased significantly this year.

"We've had glitches on some calls since the contract, but we would have had glitches if we still had our own dispatchers," McGill said.

Trotwood Fire Chief Gene Lutz said the minor problems his department has had since contracting with the regional center a year and a half ago have been associated with the center building up an accurate database of firefighting guidelines specific to Trotwood.

Lutz said the Montgomery County Sheriff's office, which staffs the regional dispatch center, was used to dispatching police crews but hadn't dispatched firefighters and paramedics until starting the regional center.

He said software had to be developed and refined so dispatch center operators would know which crews from which stations should be sent in response to different types of alarms such as house fires, traffic accidents and factory fires.

"It's a learning curve. You have to give them a chance to work things through," he said. "I really believe in the concept of having a central emergency operations center."

Capt. Ron Hess of the Miamisburg police said the only dispatching issue he's seen in Miamisburg since the regional center took over dispatching there in May is unfamiliarity with local landmarks.

"It's like when you have a dispatcher who's new in town," Hess said. "If you say something's in front of the old hardware store, that person isn't going to know where you're talking about. People have to get used to giving addresses and cross streets when they dial 911."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings@DaytonDailyNews.com.

ONLINE: Montgomery County's regional emergency dispatch center currently provides services for Brookville, Clayton, Miamisburg, New Lebanon police, Riverside, Trotwood, Germantown, Phillipsburg police, Butler Twp., Clay Twp., German Twp., Harrison Twp., Jackson Twp., Jefferson Twp., Perry Twp., Washington Twp. fire and Five Rivers Metroparks.

ON TAP: Dispatching services for Miami Twp. are scheduled to be picked up at the center within two weeks, and the city of Dayton is to join the center in August.

NOT PARTICIPATING: Montgomery County communities that currently have declined to contract with the regional center are Centerville, Englewood, Huber Heights, Kettering, Moraine, Oakwood, Vandalia and West Carrollton.