Regional dispatch network asks Spokane to save it a seat at the table next week

(The Center Square) – As tensions rise, Spokane Regional Emergency Communications sent a letter to the Spokane City Council on Friday requesting time to clear up some confusion before the two split ways.

The SREC Executive Board of Directors decided to remove the city from the regional dispatch network in June, following years of failed negotiations. The final split is scheduled for January after the city had asked the state to claw back years of funding so it could prop up its own public safety answering point.

Exclusive reporting by The Center Square revealed a feasibility study suggesting that the switch could cost Spokane $94 million over the first five years alone, before accounting for inflation. It also outlined a 14-month timeline to launch, contingent on several assumptions, despite the January 2026 deadline.

SREC Executive Director Lori Markham told The Center Square that extensions are out of the question, having engaged with Mayor Lisa Brown for 17 months. She said their new computer-aided-dispatch, or CAD, system goes live in March, and SREC would have needed advance notice for it to support the city.

“Spokane has made key decisions that lock them out of direct participation in the regionalized model, but want to blame SREC,” the board wrote to the city council. “Delays caused by the city of Spokane’s indecision risk inflating costs for all agencies, including the city, and put the entire system at risk.”

SREC has taken calls for the Spokane Fire Department since 2022, but the Spokane Police Department never joined. The board will continue to answer all 911 calls until the city is ready, but there’s a catch.

The board reaffirmed in its address that, come January, SREC will reroute all 911 calls originating from the city to the SPD’s secondary PSAP. That means SREC will answer the phone and hit a button to then transfer that call to SPD, which will dispatch SFD to provide fire services until a primary PSAP is ready.

Brown has warned that this route is not in the best interest of public safety, but Markham said the city had more than enough time, despite its claims of “arbitrary” deadlines. The council discussed the PSAP transition during the Finance and Administration Committee meeting last week, but didn’t invite SREC.

“When I read The Center Square piece that came out, I was fearful for the first time in this process for the lives of my constituents, their well-being,” Councilmember Michael Cathcart said last week. “Hopefully, our attorney is watching … because I’m fearful — I’m fearful; a week ago, I was not. Today, I am fearful.”

The executive board requested that the council include them on the agenda for the next meeting on Oct. 6 and took time to clarify several things discussed last week. One being that if the city wants to contract out some of its services to SREC, the board will need a signed agreement by November 20.

The issue is that SREC didn’t prepare its CAD system to support the city. The board said that it had given the city ample time to commit, but Spokane had signaled its intention to develop a separate CAD system.

“We have asked the city to identify any services it wishes to contract for in 2026 and remain ready to support those needs where we are operationally and technologically able to do so,” the board wrote.

Running both side by side will require interface and data translations, according to the letter. The dual system also requires city taxpayers to pay for something that SREC already has, doubling those costs.

SREC Communications Manager Kelly Conley told The Center Square that the city hasn’t reached out at all about any service extensions. One example would be using the SREC’s radio towers and system rather than building its own towers and radio systems, which could cost millions of dollars, she said.

Still, SREC doubled down on the Jan. 1 deadline, when it will begin rerouting fire calls to SPD. The board plans to present a timeline next week outlining what SREC will continue to provide and what the city would need to contract for in 2026, assuming they sign an agreement by Nov. 20.

The board also hopes to “demystify” SREC’s funding model and how the pair will renew those taxes.

Councilmember Zach Zappone told The Center Square on Monday that he hadn't confirmed with SREC about next week yet, "but I imagine we will."

“In the meantime, we stand ready to collaborate on practical, near-term solutions that reduce public safety risk for Spokane residents and ensure continuity for all 20 member organizations,” the letter reads.