Work session in action: Left: Several residents attended the Gilpin County Commissioners work session on emergency dispatch. The meeting involved a presentation on the regionalization of dispatch services and precedes the commissioners’ tour of Jeffcom. Right: The Gilpin County Commissioners held a work session on August 2 to discuss the possible need of a backup for emergency dispatch. PHOTOS BY MINDY LEARY[/caption]

The Gilpin County Commissioners (BoCC) called their work session to order at 2 p.m. on August 2, 2023. In attendance were Commissioner Marie A. Mornis, Commissioner Susan Berumen, Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth, County Manager Ray Rears, and County Attorney Brad Benning.

Rears gave some back story to the issue to be discussed: Clear Creek County Dispatch is Gilpin’s primary backup. Now Clear Creek is considering moving to Jeffcom, one of the largest emergency communications centers in the country, so Gilpin has scheduled a tour of Jeffcom and a preliminary conversation to discuss using them instead.

Formed as a consolidation of eight 9-1-1 centers in Jefferson County, Jeffcom now dispatches for 24 police, fire, and emergency medical agencies.

Mornis invited Kimberly Culp, a representative from Larimer County, who has knowledge about consolidating dispatch.

Culp explained that regionalization of dispatch services could be good from an economic point of view by sharing the cost of the 9-1-1 surcharge. Culp said that agencies are required to have a high level of technology. Collaboration with Jeffcom, which has a sophisticated mapping program, could help better locate emergencies in remote areas.

Dispatch centers can maintain their autonomy; Gilpin County’s can be physically retained in the county while coordinated into a larger network by establishing a 9-1-1 Authority board. These entities can utilize Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) to coordinate the different districts.

If Clear Creek goes to Jeffcom, where does that leave Gilpin? Will Gilpin County also join Jeffcom? The commissioners will be taking a closed tour of Jeffcom next week to find out more.

The work session was closed at 2:30 p.m.

The next Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners meeting will be on August 22 at 9 a.m. and is held in person at 203 Eureka Street in Central City and online via Zoom.