Winthrop Council Approves Chelsea Admission to Regional Dispatch Center

By Adam Swift

The Winthrop Town Council unanimously agreed to a revised intermunicipal agreement that will allow Chelsea to join the Metro North Regional Emergency Communications Center (MNRECC) alongside Winthrop and Revere.

The agreement will open up more grant funding for the regional center through the state 911 program, and will also lower Winthrop’s assessment to be part of the regional dispatch center by a little over $80,000 per year, according to Town Manager Tony Marino.

The agreement means that the MNRECC will now be eligible for up to $14 million in state funds to renovate the old McKinley School in Revere for use as a dedicated regional dispatch center. The MNRECC currently operates out of the Revere Police headquarters.

“This is something that we have been trying to do since about 2014,” said Terence Delehanty, the former Winthrop Police Chief who now serves as legal counsel for MNRECC. “I was on the (MNRECC) board from 2014 until the time I retired in Winthrop, and during that time, we always tried to bring a third community in to reduce the cost to the other communities. The more communities that join, the more grant money is allocated, so it matters between two and three communities significantly.”

Both Delehanty and MNRECC Executive Director Whitney Morgan noted that the existing dispatchers from Chelsea will be brought over to be part of the regional dispatch center.

Delehanty said everyone that comes onboard receives extensive training, including Morgan taking all new employees on a tour of the communities so they can familiarize themselves with local landmarks.

“Currently, we have five dispatchers during the day, five dispatchers on the mid-shift, and four dispatchers on overnight,” said Morgan. “On each shift, there is always a supervisor, and we hold all employees to a high standard. But with the supervisors, it is really their responsibility to speak to the departments in the situation of a major event.”

In addition to saving money for the town and bringing in more grant money, Delehanty said the increased regionalization will also help provide a larger and quicker response in the case of a major emergency situation in one of the communities.

Winthrop Police Chief John Goodwin said regional dispatch centers provide professional service and allow emergency personnel to be out on the streets instead of answering phones.

“This is not just about the money, it’s about a better service to the people and to the police officers in the streets,” he said.