RED SPRINGS — Robeson County officials hit the road this week to encourage small towns to join a new county-run 911 central dispatch system.

"It's a nice opportunity to work together, and to provide better emergency service overall," County Manager Ken Windley told the Red Springs Board of Commissioners at its Tuesday night meeting.

Windley asked the town to dissolve its own emergency dispatch and join the county, which just broke ground on a multimillion-dollar Emergency Operations Center.

Windley was joined for the presentation by Charles Britt, the county's Emergency Services director and fire marshal.

State funding for dispatch centers run by small towns s ending, Windley said.

The town of Fairmont has already agreed to join the county system, Windley said, and will turn over all emergency calls to the county on July 1, 2011. Windley is meeting with Maxton officials next week.

Windley said the emergency dispatch had been operated by the Sheriff’s Office, but the commissioners were not pleased with how it was managed, and gave him the responsibility.

"We had complaint after complaint after complaint," Windley said.

Windley said he took control of the 911 center on Jan. 2.

"It's quite a task but we've made improvements already," he said. “Some of the changes will include more focused training for dispatchers, hiring new dispatchers bringing the current shift of four up to six to seven dispatchers per shift.”

Just last month, the county broke ground for a new Emergency Operations Center, a 20,000-square-foot facility being build adjacent to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.

The new building will provide space for the 911 Communications Center, Emergency Services, the Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force and a meeting room for use by all responders during an emergency situation.

The new center will provide for eight — rather than four — emergency communication operators. Emergency Services is now operating out of the old agricultural building located across from the county administration building on North Elm Street that dates back about 70 years.

Commissioner Eula McNeill wondered about response time. Windley said a switch to a county-wide central dispatch shouldn't impact response time.

Windley estimated that a small town could save up to $30,000 to $50,000 a year in salaries alone if it switched to the county system. That doesn’t included savings from no longer having to buy equipment and space.

Mayor John McNeill said the biggest issue would be shutting down the local dispatch center in town, which is connected to the Police Department.

"Everybody likes that hometown service," he said.

The mayor said the town board will consider the request and get back to Windley.

In other action Tuesday, the board:

— Agreed to hire one full-time police officer using funds from the federal COPS program. The grant of $136,356 will pay for the new officer for three years.

— Amended an ordinance so that churches are no longer exempt from paying for city water.

— Approved a strategic energy plan.

— Learned of a 2010 U.S. Census meeting set for 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Community Center.

— Learned of a fundraiser for Haiti earthquake relief, the Red Springs Walk for Haiti, organized by area churches to begin at 10 a.m. on Feb. 20, with a lunch fundraiser to follow at the Community Center.

— Tabled a proposed ordinance amendment on criteria for mausoleums.