In recent weeks, the Florence Police Department has experienced staffing challenges that have reduced the department’s capacity to provide full-time dispatch services. To remedy this situation, the town will be partnering with Pinal County and the city of Mesa to provide dispatch support for 90 days.

During that time, the county will be dispatching police calls two days a week, while Mesa will be dispatching fire and ambulance calls. Florence Communications staff will continue to provide police dispatch services to the town five days a week.

During this 90-day period, police and fire staff will be working to train the new members of the town’s communications team. At the end of the 90 days, the Florence Dispatch Center will resume normal operations, dispatching for both police and fire.

“This is a great opportunity and will allow the Florence Police and Fire Departments to work alongside the county and Mesa while our new team is being prepped,” Interim Town Manager Lisa Garcia said in a press release. “Additionally, we are using this time to develop the essential relationships and protocols needed if we encounter a similar situation in the future, for example, due to illness. So, as a town and region, we’ll be better positioned overall.”

The Intergovernmental Agreements associated with these temporary dispatch services will be presented to the Florence Town Council for approval on April 4.