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Jersey Village approves outsourcing fire/EMS dispatch to TECC, reallocates budget
Summary
City council unanimously approved a contract and budget transfer to send fire/EMS dispatch to Texas Emergency Communications Center and to let local dispatch focus on police calls; implementation expected in 2–3 months.
The Jersey Village City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Jan. 13 to transfer up to $78,706 within the fiscal‑year 2025 budget and to authorize the city manager to execute documents with the Texas Emergency Communications Center (TECC) to provide fire and EMS dispatching.
Fire Chief Mark Bitz told the council ongoing operational problems — including misdirected calls and dispatch delays — prompted the recommendation to outsource fire/EMS dispatching. He said TECC’s dispatchers are trained in fire/EMS protocols and that TECC meets the national performance standard of answering and dispatching within 60 seconds 90% of the time; Jersey Village’s current average for fire/EMS dispatch is about four minutes. The packet shows a one‑time implementation fee of $21,106 and an estimated recurring cost of $30 per call, about $57,600 annually based on 2024 call volumes.
Council and staff described several operational benefits: dedicated police dispatchers in Jersey Village, automated dispatching and integration with Responder 360 (hydrant mapping, AVL and mutual‑aid coordination), and reduced human error during major incidents. TECC already serves several nearby departments, and city staff said full integration and radio programming will take approximately two to three months after contract execution.
The ordinance passed unanimously. Staff said the city’s communications staff will continue to operate police dispatch and that the fire department will monitor TECC performance; the contract will include regular performance review and termination terms.
