Provincetown Joins Barnstable Sheriff Regional Communications Center

PROVINCETOWN, MA — Provincetown is the latest on Cape Cod to join the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office Regional Emergency Communications Center.

Starting March 31, all Provincetown 911 emergency calls and Provincetown Fire/EMS dispatch services will be directed to the regional center.

The transition to the BCSO Regional Emergency Communications Center will allow Provincetown 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.

"The Provincetown Fire Department is committed to enhancing our emergency response capabilities through our partnership with Barnstable County Dispatch,” said Deputy Fire Chief Othaine Rance. “This collaboration will allow us to improve our handling of emergency medical calls, fire calls, and critical incidents, ensuring better service and increased safety for our community. Our dedicated team of firefighters and emergency medical service professionals remain ready to support you. Please reach out for any emergency by dialing 9-1-1 or non-emergency assistance through our Business line 508-487-7023 year-round and 24/7."

Officials said this change will not affect emergency response times or the quality of the public safety service provided to Provincetown residents and visitors. Individuals in the Town of Provincetown should continue dialing 9-1-1 for any and all emergencies.

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

“The Provincetown Police Department remains ready to serve our community,” said Acting Police Chief Gregory Hennick. “Through this partnership, Provincetown will expand its capacity to handle emergency medical calls and critical incidents. I am confident in the ability of the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office and look forward to working with them to provide Provincetown with better service and increased safety. Our experienced police telecommunicators are still here to support you, so do not hesitate to call us for non-emergency assistance.”

The Sheriff’s Office has a proven track record of providing regional dispatch services since the 1930s. Currently, they answer 9-1-1 calls for nine communities: Falmouth, Mashpee, Joint Base Cape Cod, Harwich, Chatham, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet.

The “Comms Center” as it is known, also handles emergency fire and medical dispatch for 12 fire departments: Barnstable, West Barnstable, Bourne, Mashpee, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Brewster, Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, and Joint Base Cape Cod.

“Our Emergency Communications Center exists to provide life-saving communications to the towns on Cape Cod,” said Barnstable County Sheriff Donna D. Buckley. “We welcome Provincetown to our growing list of partners.”