CapeCodFD.com
Barnstable County Communications
March 31, 2025
BARNSTABLE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
The Barnstable Sheriff's Department Communications Center
at the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Station is growing again.
When the new JBCC (Otis) Fire Headquarters opened in 2007,
the Sheriff's Department Communications, including Barnstable
County Control, Barnstable CMED, and dispatch for several Fire Departments moved
into the new station.
Since then, as many as 10 Cape Fire
Departments have been
dispatched by BSO. They include Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster,
Dennis, Harwich, Joint Base, Mashpee, Orleans, Wellfleet, and
West Barnstable. (About half of Cape Cod)
In early March 2025, BSO began dispatching
for the Chatham
Fire Department, and then the Eastham Fire Department.
On March 31, 2025, BSO will also take over dispatch for the
Provincetown Fire Department, making it 13 departments.
The dispatch center is a busy place, with 6
to 8 dispatchers
on duty at any given time. It dispatched almost 31,000 calls
in 2024 - about 85/day or 3.5 per hour, but of course calls
come in bunches all at the same time many times.
Very often, automatic responses and mutual aid, can involve
several of the dispatchers in the room as the run cards are
dispatched for various incidents.
Dispatchers recently switched from 8 hour
shifts (7-3, 3-11, 11-7)
to a system of 12 hour shifts with some on (7-7, and some on 11-11)
In some cases, the team has to work 16 hr shifts to cover openings.
They work very hard to provide high quality service to all they serve.
As Chatham, Eastham, and PTown come on
board,
that adds about 7,500 more calls / year.
Not many people get to visit the radio
room, or meet the people
who make it all happen. These professionals make total chaos
look and sound routine. This is a vital, life saving, part of Cape Cod.
Compliments to all for their service!
This is where it all happens.
CapeCodFD.com
2025