Protests aside, village stands by transfer of 911 calls

Despite ongoing protests, the Grafton Village Board approved a memo of understanding with Ozaukee County on Tuesday to transfer 911 calls to the sheriff’s department.

During the meeting, more than a dozen residents voiced concerns about the transition, citing the possibility of longer response times.

“Every second matters,” resident AnneMarie Wenten said.

The Village Board approved transferring calls to the sheriff’s department by a 4-2 vote, with trustees Dean Proefrock and Sue Meinecke opposed.

Starting in May, the village will have its emergency medical calls handled by Ozaukee County’s dispatch center. The decision comes after Aurora Health Care requested in February that the village enter into a mutual termination agreement. 

The village would have been left without a medical director for its Emergency Medical Dispatch program, which provides dispatchers a series of questions to determine the appropriate level of response.

By the end of 2018, all 911 calls from the village will be dispatched from the county.

Residents also said they were worried that the hours of operation for the police department’s 24/7 lobby would be reduced because of the changes.

Village President Jim Brunnquell said that topic was not up for consideration during the meeting.