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Murfreesboro proposes countywide 911 feasibility study; Smyrna staff to consider participation and MOU
Summary
Murfreesboro Chief Mike Bowen proposed a feasibility study by Mission Critical Partners to explore unifying 911 dispatch services for Rutherford County. Smyrna staff said the study would be funded through participating jurisdictions via a memorandum of understanding; no final decision was made at the workshop.
Town staff presented a request from Murfreesboro to participate in a feasibility study examining consolidation of 911 dispatch services for Rutherford County.
Smyrna Police Chief Jason Irvin told council he had been approached by Murfreesboro Chief Mike Bowen about a Mission Critical Partners feasibility study that Murfreesboro included in its budget. "I brought it to Dave and we spoke about it," Irvin said, referencing town manager staff. He described the study as a standard municipal feasibility assessment to determine whether unifying 911 dispatch across jurisdictions would be practical.
Study format and cost-sharing: staff said Mission Critical Partners would perform the study and that participating municipalities and the county would sign memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to share the study cost. An administrative staff member said the price would be broken down among participating jurisdictions and that the MOU would come to council for approval if Smyrna elected to participate.
Why it matters: presenters said a centralized dispatch could improve coordination, particularly for EMS responses that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Council members said a study is reasonable even if consolidation does not follow, with 1 council member saying, "We'll never regret doing the study and having information."
Next steps: staff will continue discussions with the county and Murfreesboro and prepare an MOU for council consideration if Smyrna chooses to join. No formal authorization or commitment to participate was recorded at the workshop.
