Selectmen approve MOU to pay dispatch stipend for ALS intercept program

The Plaistow Board of Selectmen voted on March 3 to approve a memorandum of understanding that adds a quarterly stipend for dispatchers who will handle calls for a new ALS (advanced life support) intercept program.

The MOU recognizes additional dispatcher workload tied to the ALS intercept program and provides a stipend for each full-time dispatcher and a prorated quarterly stipend for part-time dispatchers. Town staff said the stipend and associated roll-up costs will be paid from the ALS program’s separate account and donations, not from the town’s general fund.

Town staff explained the stipend is intended to compensate dispatchers for increased call volume tied to the program and that no additional dispatcher training is required under the agreement. The staff presentation noted historical call volumes “in the neighborhood of 2,500 to 3,000 calls a year” for similar regional service and said program managers expect the number of dispatches to decline somewhat once stricter dispatch criteria are applied.

The MOU also includes a sunset clause: the stipend will remain in effect only while the town is dispatching the ALS intercept program. The program is scheduled to go live March 21 at 3 p.m., town staff said; participating towns will contract for service on a yearly basis after an initial period that runs through December.

Selectmen asked whether the stipend and other costs would come from a separate account and whether additional dispatch hires were planned; staff said the costs would be charged back quarterly to the program and that the town is advertising for a part-time dispatcher. The board moved and approved the MOU during the meeting.

The board did not provide a line-item dollar amount for individual stipends during the public discussion; the MOU and the budget documents referenced in the meeting should be consulted for exact compensation figures.