Eastham Partnering With Barnstable Sheriff Emergency Communications

EASTHAM, MA — Emergency calls coming from Eastham will be answered at the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office Regional Emergency Communications Center starting March 17, officials said.

The news should come as no surprise, as officials explained that emergency calls from across the Cape are answered at the center.

Currently, they answer 911 calls for eight towns, including Falmouth, Mashpee, Joint Base Cape Cod, Harwich, Chatham, Brewster, Orleans and Wellfleet.

The “Comms Center” as it is known, also handles emergency fire and medical dispatch for 11 fire departments, including Barnstable, West Barnstable, Bourne, Mashpee, Orleans, Wellfleet, Brewster, Dennis, Harwich, Chatham and Joint Base Cape Cod.

The transition to the BCSO Regional Emergency Communications Center will allow Eastham to benefit from "improved technology, greater coordination among regional public safety agencies, and more streamlined operations for handling emergency calls and dispatching Fire/EMS services," officials said.

“Our Eastham Dispatchers do an incredible job with what we ask of them, but the demands placed on them have begun to exceed their capacity,” said Police Chief Adam Bohannon.

Bohannon continued:

“This partnership with the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office will ensure that we have the resources to continue providing the high level of public safety services that Eastham Residents and visitors deserve. The trained team at the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center can handle a high volume of calls, including multiple emergency calls happening simultaneously, while providing critical life-saving instructions over the phone while police and Fire/EMS are responding.”

This change will not affect emergency response times or the quality of the public safety service provided to Eastham residents and visitors, officials said. Individuals in the Town of Eastham should continue dialing 911 for emergencies.

The Eastham Fire Department will continue to operate as usual, with the BCSO Emergency Communications Center handling the dispatch and coordination efforts. The Eastham Police Department will retain the current Eastham Dispatch Staff, who will now focus on dispatching solely for the police department.

“Our Emergency Communications Center exists to provide life-saving emergency communications to the towns on Cape Cod,” said Barnstable County Sheriff Donna D. Buckley. “For any emergencies, always call 9-1-1. Our trained Public Safety Telecommunicators are ready and prepared to assist the residents and visitors of Eastham.”