Tulare council authorizes steps to bring dispatch in‑house after federal earmark award
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Summary
The Tulare City Council authorized staff to proceed with consolidating police, fire and ambulance dispatch into a city‑run center and gave the city manager authority to issue a 90‑day termination notice to the county contractor once timing and federal funds permit; council approved the action unanimously (5‑0).
The Tulare City Council on Feb. 17 directed staff to move forward with consolidating police, fire and ambulance dispatch operations at the Tulare Police Department and authorized the city manager to issue a 90‑day termination notice to Tulare County Consolidated Ambulance Dispatch (TCAD/TCCAD) when implementation timing is right. The motion passed unanimously.
City management told the council that the city completed a CAD/RMS upgrade in July 2023 and that a Matrix Group study recommended waiting to consolidate until the new system was running well. City staff said the city was awarded a federal earmark to help cover the onetime capital costs of bringing dispatch in‑house; staff estimated those capital costs at roughly $600,000. “We received approval of the dollars,” the city manager said, noting that the federal agency issuing the award — likely the Department of Justice — will determine disbursement and timing.
Council members pressed staff on operational risks, training and continuity. Vice Mayor Harrell, who has prior experience running dispatch operations, cautioned that police, fire and emergency medical services require different dispatcher skills and asked that the city ensure fire dispatch expertise is preserved. Staff and the chiefs in the room said they would require specialized training, a staffing plan and cross‑training where appropriate. The city manager said the plan includes hiring and training staff, building out the physical dispatch room and working with TCAD to coordinate any employee impacts.
Council’s action authorizes the city manager to give the contractor a 90‑day notice of termination ‘‘when the time is right’’ — i.e., once funding timing and build‑out schedules are confirmed — and directs staff to continue preparing the operational and staffing details needed to transition dispatch to the city.
What’s next: Staff will finalize implementation planning and return with timeline details as federal disbursement and project scheduling are confirmed. The current TCAD contract in the packet was said to run through 06/30/2027, and council directed staff to negotiate transition details with TCAD to avoid service disruption.