Lorain Fire Department returns dispatch services in-house

The Lorain Fire Department resumed control of emergency dispatch services, a move that brings 911 operations back in-house for the first time in several years. Lorain Fire Chief Chris Radman confirmed Thursday that dispatch operations were brought back into the department last week, saying that the move will be an advantage for the community. "Having firefighters doing the dispatching, they know the right questions," Radman said. "They're more familiar with the city." According to Rey Carrion, Lorain's safety/service director, and Radman, bringing dispatch services back to the Lorain Fire Department will not result in increased costs. One of the reasons, Carrion said, is that the room utilized for dispatch has continued to be used for similar operations. "The dispatch room had to remain operational due to storms, large scale events, and simultaneous multiple emergencies, therefore, no added cost incurred," Carrion wrote in a message. At some points during major storms in the city, Radman said dispatch can field 100 calls or more. Radman said three personnel will be assigned to cover dispatch for the department and that services will be operable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "It's an excellent training for young officers," Radman said. "They're hearing everything. They're anticipating what the officers are needing now. We have constant monitoring that someone's paying attention on every single call." Carrion also noted that the move can be positive for staff. "The decision to bring dispatch operations in-house was driven primarily by the opportunity to better utilize personnel who are injured, on restricted duty, or otherwise assigned to light-duty work," Carrion wrote in a message. "Operating our own dispatch center allows those employees to continue contributing in meaningful roles while they recover." Before last week, dispatch services for the Lorain Fire Department were operated through Lorain County 911, which fields emergency calls for police, fire and medical from residents throughout the county. Dispatch services in Lorain County have been at the center of discussion regarding communication equipment for years. Last week, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office took the final step toward allowing all county first responders' radios to communicate with one another through the county's transition to the new Multi-Agency Radio Communications System, or MARCS. However, Radman noted that the decision to bring dispatch operations back to the Lorain Fire Department was not based on changes at the county level. The Lorain Fire Department now joins their police counterparts in operating in-house. In January 2025, the Lorain Police Department began internal dispatch operations, which was the culmination of a yearlong effort. Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.