Dispatcher Retirement Campaign

Info for Regional Coordinators and Others

OLD INFO in 2007: see main page for up-to-date info.

A. Dispatchers from the towns/centers that a legislator on the Public Service Committee is from should contact that legislator prior to or immediately after the Sept 27 hearing:

  • Call the office of the legislator and ask to speak to the legislator's legislative director. Senator's will have one; Rep's may only have 1-2 staff people. Explain the importance of Senate 1603 to the dispatcher profession. Make sure to explain that we have ALWAYS been in Group 2 but under an old title (Fire and Police Signal Operators), that titles changed over the years along with more duties and more technology, and now only dispatchers from 30 towns and cities are recognized as in Group 2. But all local, county and state police-fire-EMS dispatchers should be.

  • Email a copy of the One Page Fact Sheet to them. Emails are listed on the Public Service Committee page.

  • Ask that they support Senate 1603 and find out if they will vote for it.

  • Read more about the issue on this web site.

  • Please approach your legislator politely and knowledgeably. This issue is a bipartisan, good government, labor and management joint effort to improve the careers of key members of the front-line public safety sector.

B. Coordinators

1. Essex County - Ann Marie Cullen
Assts: Kevin Harrison, Paul Polansky, Grethen Nolan, more:

2. Middlesex-Suffolk - Leslie Carroll
Assts: Larry Silva, Bob Acamondo, Dave Clemons, Richard Landers, Frank San Severino, Mike Taplin, more:

3. Southeast (Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes) - Patty Graney
Assts: Tracy Eldridge, Dave Connolly, Scott Billings, Charlene Fisk, Cathe Moniz, Peter Thomas, more:

4. Worcester County - Laurie Favreau
Assts: Greg Anderson, Bob Odgren, more:

5. Western Mass. - Lisa Day
Assts: Butch Garrity, Rita Burke, Bill Mullen, more:
 

C. Key Items

  1. Read the Fact Sheet. for Dispatchers. Handout the One Page Fact Sheet to everyone including Legislators

  2. FAX, mail, or send the Flyer to all PSAPs. We must get donations!

  3. Organize in your county; get a senior/experienced dispatcher or dispatch supervisor from EACH PSAP to join or support your county team! Get their email and phone number so they can be contacted when their legislators need contacting, when a hearing is scheduled, etc.

  4. Send contributions ($50-$100 per dispatcher or supervisor is our goal) to MCSA Dispatcher Support Fund, 1600 North Street, Windsor, MA 01770.

  5. Fill out a PSAP Survey Form (see below) for every PSAP and fire dispatch center in the region. No names or DOB's are necessary, but we must have the facts sufficient to project the financial impact within reason.

  6. Get all the dispatchers and supervisors at your center to join the campaign; approach other organizations to donate.

  7. Keep up with this web site and see the links and information below


2005 2005
Resources Handouts and Information
List of Dispatch Center Contacts Sorted by County

List of Dispatcher and Dispatch Supervisor Campaign Volunteers by County: (Excel, PDF)

Map of Mass. Counties and Municipalities

Number of Dispatchers/Supervisors by PSAP

Legislators by City and Town

Legislative Committees: NEW 3/26/05

Joint Committee on Public Service (key, first committee for our bill): Excel, HTML

Notice Letter for Coordinators to Send to PDs, associations, others about being contacted (PDF, Word) 6-18-05

1-page Fact Sheet for Legislators, Dispatchers and Others (Word, PDF)

Flyer to send/FAX/email to PSAPs and Fire Alarm offices (PDF)

Dispatcher Retirement PSAP Survey Form for use by County teams: (Word, PDF). This NEW REVISED form (6-18-05) allows us to capture the salary, age and years of service of all dispatchers to help in the financial impact calculations that will be required by the legislature. But no names/DOB's are necessary (but we must have age, years service and salary even if reasonable estimates).

Senate 1536 - similar bill filed by Senators Moore, Joyce and Connolly, but does not have supervisors or county/state dispatchers. (Hopefully they will support Senate 1603, as it is more inclusive)