BRIDGETON, Mo. — Neighbors in Bridgeton got a chance Wednesday night to weigh in on a plan to transfer 911 services to the county.
Mayor Terry Briggs said it's becoming tough to answer emergency calls because of staffing shortages. He says turning over 911 services to St. Louis County would be a better way to keep Bridgeton residents safe.
The community gathered at the Bridgeton recreation center to learn about the plan. That's where they learned the city is down five dispatchers from where it wants to be. Bridgeton currently has five dispatchers, although it has budgeted for eight.
The Mayor said, ideally, having ten dispatchers would put the city where it needs to be. Filling those positions has been tough. It’s why he’s pushing a plan to turn over 911 service to St. Louis County, which has more dispatchers, to improve the city's response.
Bridgeton would still keep its own police department, but county dispatchers would route them to emergencies.
"We will have two dispatchers on duty all the time, which we don’t have at the current time so if something would ever happen you'd have someone to take their place and it's more than just two with the county. They have a room full of dispatchers,” Briggs said.
Right now, Bridgeton has one dispatcher working per shift. Briggs said the transfer would also save the city money. Having eight dispatchers costs Bridgeton $840,000 a year.
By turning 911 service to the county, Bridgeton would pay $155,000. The measure now heads to city council next Wednesday. If approved, the transfer would go into effect in June.