NEWPORT — Chief Seth DiSanto announced that as of yesterday, the Newport Police Department has expanded its dispatch services to include the Irasburg Fire Department and Newport Ambulance Service.
The dispatch center, located at the Newport Police Department, also handles services for the Newport Fire Department.
Dispatch service hours run Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
During non-dispatch hours, all calls are handled by the Vermont State Police’s Public Safety Answering Point in Williston.
Citizens dialing 911 for emergency services will not notice any change.
“We’re pleased to be able to assist the Irasburg Fire Department and Newport Ambulance Service, and we are committed to providing the best possible services to residents at all times,” Chief DiSanto said.
To assist with the expansion of services, the Newport Police Department received more than $284,000 in federal grants in 2016 to install new equipment and upgrade aging devices in its dispatch center.
Additionally, the Newport Police Department is working to further expand dispatch services to all of Orleans County.
“Thank you to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Vermont Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their assistance in making this endeavor possible,” DiSanto said.
