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In September of 1985, Putnam County centralized its emergency dispatching services into a Centralized Dispatch. This "Central Dispatch" combined the dispatches of the Putnam County Sheriff, the Greencastle Police Department and Operation Life Ambulance into a single system to reduce duplication of costs and redundancy of services. Overseeing the dispatch was a Joint Board consisting of County, City and OL officials. In 1988, the Indiana General Assembly passed Indiana Code 36-8-16 allowing a County to assess a fee on a line user's telephone bill to help defray the costs of an Enhanced 911 system. Early in 1989, the Central Dispatch Joint Board began exploring the possibility of using this fee to help pay the coasts of a 911 system in Putnam County. It took over a year of bringing the issue to the various towns, County Commissioners, County Council and the general public before Ordinance 082890 was passed on August 28th, 1990 by the County Council instituting the 911 Subscriber's Fee. It took six months for the Central Dispatch Joint Board to determine the specifications of the 911 system and 3 months to install it. In September of 1991, the basic radio framework of 911 was put into the County Courthouse. On December 30th, 1991 the County Commissioners passed Ordinance 123091 creating a county went official with its basic 911 system. On August 19th, 1991 the County Commissioners passed Ordinance 91-8-19 creating a 911 addressing system for Putnam County. On January 1, 1995, the County went official with its new addressing system. On July 1, 1995 Putnam County went official with "Enhanced 911".
A HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCH/PUTNAM COUNTY 911
Beginnings and Conceptualization: Spring/Summer of 1985 Jerry Warren, Mayor of Greencastle, spearheads a local effort to consolidate the then existing public safety dispatch centers at the Greencastle Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff=s Department and the Operation Life Ambulance Service into a Centralized system to reduce duplication of effort and lower taxpayer costs. A Joint Board is comprised under the Inter-local Cooperative Agreement statute composed of City, County and OL officials.
Birth: September 1, 1985 ACentral Dispatch@ is born. Housed at the Greencastle Police Department, the Inter-local Agreement has the City paying for the system hardware, the County paying for the dispatcher salaries and OL relinquishing over $20,000 in County subsidy. David Costin, former head dispatcher at the Sheriff=s Department, is appointed AChief Dispatcher@ and is charged in overseeing the day to day operations of the agency answerable directly to the Joint Board. The Agency is housed in the Dispatch quarters of the Greencastle Police Department. Originally, Central Dispatch only dispatched for the Greencastle Police, Greencastle Fire, Madison Fire, Operation Life, Putnam County Sheriff, DePauw University Dept of Safety and Security and all Putnam County Town Marshals and consisted of only four full time dispatchers and the Chief Dispatcher.
Central Dispatch Acquires Its Own Telephone System: September 13, 1985 Central Dispatch acquires its own universal emergency telephone numbers of 653-5115 and 795-4791.
Beginnings of 911 (I): Spring 1988 The Indiana General Assembly passes the AEmergency Telephone System Fee@statute allowing a County to pass the costs of an AE-911" system onto a telephone subscriber=s telephone bill.
Beginnings of 911 (II): Spring 1989 The Central Dispatch Joint Board begins exploring the possibilities of using theAE-911" bill to help pay for a 911 system in Putnam County.
911 Fee Imposed: August 28, 1990 After a year of proposing the concept of 911 to the various local communities in Putnam County, the Putnam County Council passes the ordinance to institute a 911 subscriber=s fee. The initial charge is $1.00 per phone line.
Putnam County Collects Its First 911 Receipt: October 1, 1990 Putnam County receives its first 911 fee receipt.
Central Dispatch increases Its Staff: January 1, 1991 Due to the receipts collected from the telephone subscriber’s fee, Central Dispatch increases its staff from 5 to 7 Full Time Employees in preparation for instituting 911. Initially, only the additional two employees are paid for from the 911 Fund, the others remain on the Property Tax Fund.
Readdressing Ordinance Passed: August 19, 1991 The County Commissioners pass the ordinance mandating city style addresses for rural Putnam County rural route and box numbers.
Central Dispatch Moves: September 1, 1991 After a year of discussing the specifications of the 911 system, Central Dispatch moves operations into the County Courthouse. The City of Greencastle withdraws from the Inter-local agreement and starts its own dispatch.
Creation of the “911 Advisory Committee”: December 30, 1991 The County Commissioners pass an ordinance creating a A911 Advisory Committee@ to oversee the 911 system. David Costin is appointed A911 Director@.
911 Gets Its Own Employee Policy Manual: September 9, 1992 The County Commissioners pass a APolicy Manual@ administrating the 911 system.
911 Starts: June 23, 1993 Putnam County is officially ABasic 911.@ Over the course of the next few years, 911 begins to add the remaining eight fire departments in the County to its system, PMH ambulance service, as well as a host of miscellaneous agencies.
First Subscriber Fee Increase: February 1, 1994 Putnam County increases its subscriber fee to $1.90 and moves all of its Full Time Employees from the General Property Tax Fund over onto the 911 fund.
Alarm Ordinance Passed: February 22, 1994 Putnam County passes an ordinance regulating alarm systems in Putnam County and allows the 911 Advisory Committee to oversee complaints evolving from the ordinance.
Rural Readdressing is Completed: January 1, 1995 Putnam County has officially converted its rural addresses to a city style system.
“Enhanced” 911 or E911 Begins: July 1, 1995 After the completion of readdressing, 911 establishes its Enhanced 911 database.
911’s First “SOP Manual”: April 25, 1996 The 911 Committee creates an AStandard Operating Procedures Manual@ to document procedures in the 911 Center.
Wireless/Cellular 911 Begins: June 25, 1999 Putnam County 911 begins taking its first Phase I Wireless calls. Funds come in from the State Wireless Board later that fall in compensation.
Reconsolidation with Greencastle PD: September 17, 2000 The City of Greencastle=s Dispatch system consolidates with Putnam County 911 at the Courthouse and increases its staff from 7 to 10 Full Time Employees with additional part time funding.
Second Subscriber Fee Increase: January 1, 2001 Putnam County increases its subscriber fee to $2.10 to help pay the cost of Reconsolidation. This is the first of a two phase approach to increasing the fee.
Third Subscriber Fee Increase: January 1, 2002 Putnam County increases its subscriber fee to $2.30 in the last of a two phase increase.
Beginnings of a New CAD System: April 23, 2003 911 consolidates four different computer systems into one system. The system allows for integration of data, mapping, mobile computers, radio dispatching, pre arrival instructions, Phase II Wireless 911 and other dispatching functions under one platform.
911 Advisory Committee Increases Its Members: January 2005 The County Commissioners increases the seven member Advisory Committee to nine to allow for a fire and police representative.
Supervisory Staff Increased: September, 2005 The County Council creates the Assistant Director and two Shift Supervisors for 911. Shawn Little is appointed as Assistant Director, Dara Robinson is the Evening Shift Supervisor and Rebecca Chadd is the Night Shift Supervisor.
MABAS Fire Dispatch Begins: July 1, 2006 Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) is instituted for Fire Dispatching. The system allows for the automatic dispatch of mutual aid fire departments on structure fires.
EMD begins: August 1, 2006 Emergency Medical Dispatch begins. Putnam County is using Medical Priority’s EMD system and is using the ProQA EMD software and the AQUA Quality Improvement software. Methodist Hospital’s Dr. Edward Bartkus is appointed medical oversight Director.
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