Craig police chief says other Prince of Wales Island communities want 911 calls routed to Craig dispatch

Other Prince of Wales Island communities have asked whether Craig's police dispatch center could take over their 911 calls, Craig Police Chief RJ Ely told the Craig City Council on Thursday, Oct. 1. Ely said the talks are at "very, very early stages."

Craig's dispatch center already handles calls for Craig and Klawock, along with the Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement on the island, according to the city. Ely said Coffman Cove reached out about two weeks ago about having its 911 calls answered in Craig instead of at the troopers' center in Soldotna, and that he traveled there Thursday to test radio and other options. Hollis has asked about routing its fire and EMS 911 calls to Craig, he said.

Ely said the dispatch center could take on the calls without being overloaded, as long as backups are in place and the city is protected from liability. The bigger obstacle is equipment. On the road to Coffman Cove, he said, he lost radio contact with his dispatch center almost entirely, and a repeater alone to cover the area would cost $70,000 to $80,000. An internet-based system, like the one the city uses for mass notifications, would be cheaper if backed up, he said.

Ely said several communities raised the idea after a recent emergency in Hollis. Calls from the island are supposed to go to the troopers' Soldotna center but can end up at other trooper posts, according to the discussion.

"This is definitely a state issue," Ely said.

Council member Michael Kampnich suggested the island's regional council of communities could seek federal support for dispatch, and said routing more calls to Craig could save the state time and money that could be spent on the island. The council took no action.