Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough and Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton swear in employees of the new Westshore regional dispatch center Thursday. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

New dispatch center begins operations next week
By Kevin Kelley
Westshore
Published March 8, 2006

The long discussed regional dispatch center to handle fire and EMS calls for the Westshore suburbs becomes operational Monday.

The center, which is located on the campus of St. John West Shore Hospital, will dispatch ambulances and fire trucks to emergency calls in Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River and Fairview Park.

North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady wanted his city to participate in the center but could not persuade the city council to go along.

In anticipation of next week’s opening, the 14 dispatchers hired to receive emergency calls were officially sworn in Thursday evening by Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough and Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton at a ceremony at Westlake City Hall.

Clough called the opening of the center a historic moment for all the Westshore communities.

“It was talked about having a more regional type approach to provide better services to our citizens,” Clough said, “and I think this is our first step.”

Patton noted talks among the cities to establish a regional dispatch center began in 2000.

“This is a wonderful, positive step, and we’re very proud to be part of it,” Patton said.

Westlake Council President Michael Killeen said it often takes a long time to conclude agreements among different cities. The six years which elapsed between when talks first began and their fruition is “light speed,” Killeen said.

Clough saluted St. John West Shore Hospital for donating space on its property for the center.

“I think it’s going to provide better service to the entire Westshore community,” Clough said.

In August 2004, Westlake was awarded a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $566,503 to purchase equipment for the center.

Officials from cities involved in creating the center have said the possibility exists that other cities from Lakewood to suburbs in Lorain County could join the project in the future. And they haven’t given up on North Olmsted yet, either.

“We’re still encouraging North Olmsted to join,” Clough told council in his regular mayor’s report at Thursday’s council meeting. “The mayor is working with his council in an effort to try and become a member of the central dispatch.”

The seven full-time dispatchers sworn in Thursday are Ronald Barlow, Kari Davilla, Kimberly Decuzzi, Janine Downs, Kristina Eich, Rose Melko and George Sulea. Part-time dispatchers are William Becker, Nicholas Kolesar, Daniel Reinholz, Jennifer Ring, David Salinas, Jack Sevier and John Terry Stricker.

Center Supervisor Nick Pishnery was hired last fall. Selected from a field of 239 applicants, Pishnery was previously the supervisor of the Joint Fire Dispatch Center (JFDC) in Cleveland Heights since March 2001. JFDC dispatches fire and EMS calls for the cities of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, and University Heights. He began his career there as a dispatcher in December 1989.

Pishnery hired and trained the center’s staff, who are employees of the city of Westlake. The assistant supervisor is Frank Anselmo.

A formal ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the dispatch center March 29.