Avon May Use Farmington For Emergency Dispatch Services, Hearing Is July 31: UPDATE

Town of Avon

AVON, CT — The town is close to inking a municipal pact to obtain emergency dispatch services through nearby Farmington, with a public hearing slated for later this week to garner input.

The Avon Town Council Thursday, July 31, will host a public hearing on the regionalization of dispatch services in Farmington.

The hearing begins at 7 p.m. in the Avon Town Hall selectmen’s chamber and virtually. Avon Town Hall is located at 60 W. Main St., Avon.

Under the proposed deal, the Town of Farmington would provide dispatch services for the Town of Avon for a period of five years with renewal options.

Farmington already provides dispatch services for the Town of Burlington.

With the addition of Avon, this arrangement would be considered a “Regional Dispatch Center” by the State of Connecticut.

Services would include the answering and dispatching of all 911/routine police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) calls.

The current Avon Dispatchers would be offered positions in Farmington.

The technology is currently in place to allow radio, phone, and computer-aided dispatch (CAD)/records management system (RMS) connections to Farmington.

State funding would be used to connect to Avon Police Department cameras, including a virtual video system in the lobby of the APD, allowing dispatchers to greet visitors outside of business hours.

According to Avon officials, this arrangement would: improve public safety coordination; improve public safety response; provide cost-effective and high-quality services on a regional basis; and provide a stable, reliable dispatch function for the Town of Avon.

Avon officials released the following links related to the proposal:

• The Public Hearing Notice
• The Proposed Interlocal Dispatch Agreement
• A Recording of the June 5, 2025 Town Council Meeting during which the Chief of Police presented the proposal to the Town Council. The presentation and subsequent discussion begin at approximately 01:32:45.
• June 5, 2025, a Slide Deck presented by the Chief of Police, which provides a brief overview of the proposal
• Regionalization of Emergency Dispatching Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), which provides significant detail on various topics related to the proposal

The public is encouraged to attend the July 31 public hearing either in person or virtually to comment on the proposal.

The public is also welcome to submit comments in writing on or before noon on Thursday, July 31, to towncouncil@avonct.gov to be included in the public hearing record. Include a full name and address in the body of the email.

Anyone with questions on the proposal can contact: Brandon Robertson, Avon Town Manager, brobertson@avonct.gov, 860-409-4300, and/or Neil Dryfe, Avon Chief of Police, at ndryfe@avonct.gov, 860-409-4200.