Combined Statement On Ripon Dispatch Transfer
4 June 2021 News
On June 01,2021 transfer of all Emergency Communications Services took place between the City of Ripon and Fond du Lac County Communications Center. The transfer had occurred after intensive work over the last 9 months by members of the Ripon Police, Ripon Guardian Ambulance Service, Ripon Area Fire District, and Fond du Lac County Communications. The Transition went smoothly as we hoped, and as adjustments and minor issues arose this team was able to handle those issues.
Hours of preplanning, preparation, problem solving, and cooperation by all the departments and their members was key in making this transition possible, with limited issues arising after the transition was completed.
As with any major project such as this and this was indeed a major project on how we conduct business, involving multiple emergency responder organizations, each with their own requirements for service, there are sure to be speed bumps along the way. Fortunately, each department was able to address their needs and work together to develop a plan for moving emergency response forward in the City of Ripon.
Radio and pager programming were the major projects tackled after the transition. Because of the radio frequency changes that could only be accomplished once the transition to the new frequency could be made for EMS and Fire.
Police department phone line transfers also occurred on June 1st. work will continue in this area as upgrades for equipment and phone lines are replaced in the coming weeks. All incoming phone calls to the Ripon Police Department will now be answered by Fond du Lac Communications Officers, who will make the appropriate decision on what services are needed and how that call is handled or dispatched. Citizens can still use the 748-2888 line for non-emergency police calls and 911 for any landline or cell phone calls in an emergency situation.
The desire from all three Emergency Responder Chiefs, is that the general public will not see any changes in how they access emergency responders in an emergency situation. First and foremost, our responsibilities as Chiefs, is that emergency response is not compromised in any way. Our ability to provide emergency services remains solid. This transition will provide an opportunity for some internal changes that hopefully will enhance delivery of our services by making them more efficient, provide technology and response options that may not have been available in the past, and allow the coordination between other county emergency responder organizations that have long been involved with FDL County Communications systems.
Obviously, the most difficult part of this transition was the loss of some very dedicated communications officers for the City of Ripon. Those Communications Officers remained very professional and continued to deliver quality service to the community and the three departments right up until the last day, last hour, and last minutes of our services here. All three of the Emergency Department Chiefs, and their department members, want to once again acknowledge all the Communications Officers that have ever worked in a very difficult, demanding, and rewarding position, serving the citizens of our community for all the work they have ever done. They have always provided great service to all emergency responders as they do the work they do.
Ripon Guardian Ambulance Chief Mitch Matuszeski
Ripon Area Fire District Chief Tim Saul
Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner
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