SHREC to move into Spokane Valley; board signals end to Spokane Fire dispatch contract

Spokane Valley city staff and regional emergency dispatch leaders told the City Council on July 22 that Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SHREC) is moving its operations to Spokane Valley, plans to put all member agencies on a single computer-aided dispatch (CAD) platform next year and that the SHREC board has voted to send a termination letter to Spokane Fire allowing the department to become its own primary public-safety answering point.

The update, presented by Deputy City Manager Eric Lamb and SHREC Executive Director Laurie Markham, covered SHRECachievements (an emergency medical dispatch accreditation), operations metrics, a staffing shortage and financial pressures tied to the City of Spokanes decision to pursue separate 911 arrangements and legislation affecting dispatch funding.

SHREC officials said the agency purchased a facility in Spokane Valley and expects to complete renovations and move staff into the new center in late 2026. The agency also said it expects to go live on a shared CAD system in spring 2026, which it said will be the first time both law and fire agencies in Spokane County will operate on the same CAD platform. The presentation noted SHRECs Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) accreditation is one of only three in Washington state and one of roughly 300 worldwide.

Why it matters: the change affects how 911 calls are routed, how member agencies pay for dispatch services and regional interoperability. SHREC leaders said the City of Spokane currently accounts for a larger share of call volume than its share of taxes, and the disparity was a major point in negotiations. SHREC expects Spokane to handle its own primary 911 responsibilities after Jan. 1 of the date specified in the Spokane contract and is planning technical and staffing transitions to preserve response continuity.

Operational details and tensions SHREC reported that Spokane-originated calls account for roughly 60% of SHRECs workload while Spokane represents about 42% of the tax revenue that funds the center. SHREC said that, based on those proportions and recent legislation discussions, the agency expects the separation could reduce some costs for remaining members and that staff changes would be handled through attrition rather than immediate layoffs.

Markham and Deputy Director Kim Arredondo gave call statistics: an average wait time of about 11 seconds for incoming 911 calls and 19 seconds for crime-check calls, a steady rise in dispatches sent to partners, and an 8–10% vacancy rate throughout the year. The agency said a major goal of the new CAD system is to increase interoperability among law and fire agencies and to improve dispatch performance.

On the status of Spokane Fire, Markham said mediation in June had been unsuccessful and the SHREC board voted in June to send a termination letter to Spokane Fire, requiring the department to begin providing its own service per the contract terms. The board and Spokane County commissioners recommended that Spokane become its own primary PSAP. SHREC staff described plans for an interim period in which Spokane calls would still reach SHREC and be transferred before Spokane establishes a primary PSAP and a geofencing routing rule that will send calls originating inside Spokane city limits directly to Spokanes center once it is operational.

Questions from councilors focused on budget impacts and interoperability. Councilmember Paddell asked about the financial effect of Spokane's departure; Markham said Spokane contributes a smaller share of tax revenue than the workload it creates, and the agency expects to manage the change but has not finalized fee or user-rate projections for 2026. Chief Dave Ellis, representing the Spokane Valley Police Department on the SHREC board, said he expects SHREC to continue routing calls appropriately and expressed a preference that Spokane join the regional CAD to preserve interoperability. SHREC said radio and records-management interoperability remain topics for negotiation with Spokane.

Uncertainties and next steps SHREC officials said several items remain unresolved: final user fees for 2026, how Spokane will handle radio systems and records management, and exactly how board composition will change if Spokane Fire and city representation are removed. SHREC said it will work to make the transition smooth and that it will likely decrease staff levels gradually through attrition if call volume declines after Spokane's departure.

Council members praised SHRECs accreditation and training achievements but pressed for clearer numbers on budget implications, staffing and expected service levels after the separation. SHREC asked member jurisdictions to continue engagement as the agency finalizes costs, contract details and transition protocols.

Ending: SHREC officials said they will continue to brief member jurisdictions as plans firm up and will return with more specific fee and staffing projections once Spokanes needs and any contracting arrangements are clarified.