Belleville Fire and Emergency Service is shutting down its in-house fire dispatch system.
With new requirements in place for emergency communications and 911 dispatch centre, Belleville is set to enter April 16 into a five-year agreement with the City of Peterborough to provide fire dispatch services.
Previously, Belleville Fire and Emergency Services provided dispatch services for the city, as well as all departments within Hastings County.
Over the last year, all participating departments have moved on to new services, leaving Belleville to dispatch in-house only while completing the transitional process to Peterborough.
Throughout the onboarding process, it became very apparent that both municipalities and their respective fire service have many commonalities, making it a great fit.
Residents requiring fire services will see no change in service with the transition and no actions are required by any alarm monitoring agencies.
Belleville Fire Chief Dan Smith, director of Fire and Emergency Services, said he is looking forward to partnering with Peterborough on the initiative.
“Since the establishment of the Belleville Fire Department in 1878, when fire calls were announced by the ringing of the bells in the clock tower of City Hall, to the present day, Belleville firefighters have been on the other end of the line, answering countless emergency calls across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties and sending the appropriate assistance,” Smith said.
“Today we pass this responsibility to our friends at Peterborough Fire. This new bond has already opened doors for more collaborative work in the areas of training initiatives, peer review and purchasing power. We know they will continue to provide our citizens and firefighters with quality and reliable emergency dispatch service, and we look forward to building a long-standing relationship.”