Mayor Beckmann addresses after-hour 911 calls
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
On or about March 1, the Folly Beach dispatchers joined other dispatchers in Charleston County to form the 911 Consolidated Dispatch Center. Most of you are aware dispatchers are to be transferred; however, some of you were not aware it would be as early as March 1. Director of Public Safety Boatwright has sent a letter addressing the 911 system: what it will do, when to use it, and other information which will be valuable to keep for future reference.
The purpose of this letter is to assure everyone that the most important aspect of all of this is you and your safety and well being, as well as the well-being of your animals. I am committed to making this transition as easy for you as possible while giving you this reassurance: Your needs, whether it concerns public works, public safety or anything else have always been and will continue to be my first priority.
I know one of the major concerns is our Folly Beach animals and what will happen if help is needed after 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on the weekends. I have met with Chief Boatwright to ensure animal related services after hours have been addressed in a way which will be satisfactory to our residents. All animal-related service calls and non-emergency matters will continue to be taken and dispatched on a 24/7 basis. Citizens only have to call the number they are accustomed to calling for service, which is 588-2433. After-hours animal related service calls will be assigned to a Folly Beach shift supervisor to ensure the appropriate animal services response is taken. Animal Services Officer Ralph Bryan, working in partnership with Carol Linville of Pet Helpers, will continue to build a cadre of animal services volunteers so that “on-call” assignments can be shared.
Knowing you have other concerns about this transition which you would like to discuss, I am available to meet with you during the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For your convenience, however, I am extending my weekday hours to be available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and also on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The only dates and times I will be out of the office are Saturday, March 13, 2010, and March 15 – 18, 2010. When we meet, I will do my best to address your concerns and answer questions regarding the transition of the on-site dispatchers to the Consolidated Dispatch Center and any other concerns you may have.
When Council and I first addressed the 911 Consolidated Dispatch in 2008, there were several reasons we made the decision to join other communities in Charleston County and transition to a Consolidated Dispatch Center: 1) the dispatchers in the Center will be well-trained; capable of relaying information over the phone that could save lives; 2) Folly Beach had a significant number of turnovers in the Dispatch Department, as many as nine in one year; 3) the calls on non-emergency incidents will still be handled ultimately by the Folly Beach Public Safety; and 4) after a period of three years, Charleston County will be paying the entire cost of the dispatchers; Folly Beach will pay nothing. This is a significant savings for the City of Folly Beach and during these times of economic hardship, it is important that the city make every effort to keep cost at a minimum without sacrificing or compromising the safety and well being of our residents.
I look forward to hearing from you and am hopeful this addresses some of the concerns you may have.
Carl B. Beckmann, Jr.
Mayor of Folly Beach
