Village Board to Act Monday on Dispatch Merger

Shorewood village trustees will decide Monday whether to merge emergency dispatch services with five other North Shore communities.

and Glendale agreed earlier this month to merge dispatch services with Bayside, Fox Point and River Hills in an effort to save money and improve response times. A merged dispatch center, proposed for spring 2012, also is expected to eliminate redundant and expensive technology and staff costs.

Shorewood is a member of the North Shore Public Safety Commission, along with Whitefish Bay and Glendale. Under the proposal, the three villages, through the commission, would contract with Bayside for dispatch services that already serve Fox Point and River Hills. 

Brown Deer, which operates its own dispatch center, also is contemplating merging with the six North Shore communities for emergency dispatch service. The idea is to have the seven communities that make up the North Shore Fire Department share a joint dispatch service.