LISBON — The Town Council on Tuesday discussed the benefits and pitfalls of transferring the local dispatch agency to the Androscoggin County Dispatch Center.

This is the town’s fourth dispatch consolidation discussion in eight years.

The council estimated it would save $94,002 if it switched to county dispatch. But Police Chief Mark Hagan said it is more than just money that would influence the decision.

According to Hagan, the benefits of switching to Androscoggin County Dispatch would include:

• Having a greater database of information;

• Fewer in-house technology requirements because the county would manage software upkeep;

• Faster prisoner processing time; and

• Being able to have a second reserve officer on duty for Friday and Saturday nights.

Pitfalls would include a loss of local control, potential administration change on the county level and loss of face-to-face contact, he said. 

“It’s more about who answers the phone,” Hagan said.

Lisbon’s dispatch center currently has someone available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If Lisbon were to switch to the county dispatch, Hagan suggested that the Lisbon dispatch center continue to have staff during the day. He said the center can have a phone at night that would go directly to the county Dispatch Center.

“I don’t think our system’s (broken),” resident Martin Campbell said. “So why are we trying to change it? The townspeople don’t want to change it; they like it the way it is.”

Resident Larry Fillmore said the town should be looking at everything to save lives. Because of a faster response time, he said it would be more beneficial to switch to the county Dispatch Center.

It’s a quicker transaction because there are two dispatchers working at a time, Sheriff Eric Samson said.

Androscoggin County Director of Communications Martin Fournier said his answer time on a 911 call is 0.6 seconds.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to hire three additional staffers if Lisbon decides to switch to its dispatch center.