The South Sound 911 proposal is two-pronged. It would:
• Create a new emergency communications agency by combining the county’s three largest dispatch centers – the Law Enforcement Support Agency, Tacoma Communications Center and Pierce County Fire Comm.
Two dispatch centers would be built – one for police dispatchers, the other for fire and emergency medical dispatchers. Locations of the centers have not yet been determined.
A policy board comprised of elected officials from Pierce County, Tacoma, Lakewood, West Pierce Fire & Rescue and member cities would oversee the agency. It would have an executive director and an operations board made up of law enforcement and fire services personnel.
• Update radio systems for law enforcement and fire agencies that are part of South Sound 911 to meet federally required upgrades and so first responders could talk with one another during emergencies and on routine calls.
COSTS
• $70 million for two new, state-of-the-art dispatch centers.
• $35 million for the radio system upgrade.
PROS AND CONS
The campaigns for and against the South Sound 911 tax proposal have set up websites with information on their viewpoints.
Supporters: fix911.org
Opponents: reasonablegovernment.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.