Rangeley-area leaders discuss shared policing options and emergency communications (FirstNet)

Attendees at the quarterly Rangeley meeting discussed informal conversations about sharing law enforcement services among nearby plantations, requested call-volume data to inform future conversations, and reviewed countywide emergency-communications planning, including the federal FirstNet initiative.

“I know Chief Kate has kinda looked into call volume,” one participant said; meeting attendees asked for call-log counts to compare demand across jurisdictions.

Speakers provided preliminary call-volume figures from other plantations: Sandy River Plantation about 257 calls, Dallas Plantation about 255, and Rangely Plantation about 137 for the period discussed; a higher regional figure mentioned for Rangeley was unclear in the record and requires verification. Participants asked staff to obtain complete call-log records, including incidents where regional sheriff’s coverage was required, to evaluate whether shared services would be practical.

The group also discussed emergency-communications infrastructure. Participants described FirstNet—a nationwide public-safety broadband network operated through AT&T—as an ongoing project to provide first responders with resilient, dedicated communications during major incidents. Speakers said towers are still being added and that FirstNet is intended to preserve capacity for first responders if commercial networks become overloaded.

No formal motion to change policing arrangements or to join a shared law-enforcement service was made during the meeting; participants agreed to collect data and continue the conversation.