Rhinelander and Oneida county are in talks about some modifications to the current agreement involving city police dispatch and other services.
Alderperson George Kirby brought it up Monday saying he wasn't fully informed on potential changes to the agreement and wanted to know what was going on. City Administrator Daniel Guild and Mayor Chris Frederickson said they had been talking with the county.
Guild outlined what the county was asking...
"First, they wanted to have the city pay approximately $15,000 toward the cost of the dispatch center. Second, they wanted a commitment from the city in participation in the drug unit, then they wanted some modifications to the agreement that currently exists for paramedic participation in the SRT team..."
SRT is the Sheriff's Department Special Response Team.
Guild told Kirby there wasn't anything specific to give to the council as both groups were still exchanging ideas.
Fire Chief Terry Williams was involved in the meeting and outlines discussions about a city-county joint effort in an emergency situation...
"..The liability of medics performing care not under Rhinelander Fire Department command. The would be under(sheriff's department) command. There were questions back and forth. What I took away from the meeting that there would be a research project as to what some other departments and SRT teams around the state can do..."
Sheriff Grady Hartman says they're installing a new dispatch center at the law enforcement center in 2020 and would like the city to pay for one dispatch pod. He says the cost of the pod has come down to about $15,000 which is what they would like the city to contribute.
He says he also would like to get two firefighters back on the Special Response Team.
The first agreement to dispatch for the city happened informally about the year 2000. A couple of years later the agreement was formalized, and the county dispatches all the time for the city.
