A bill that would ask Cumberland County and Fayetteville to merge 911 operations is getting some resistance from Fayetteville leaders.
Mayor Mitch Colvin is concerned that the bill, introduced by state legislators last week, would lead to rushed public safety services. Colvin said they were not consulted before the bill was produced. The bill would allow the county to merge the county and city's dispatch centers.
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The bill would force 911 services to be consolidated with Cumberland County. Colvin wants to make sure all stakeholders and municipalities, including Fort Bragg, are in alignment moving forward.
Colvin said there will be lots of meetings to come over the topic. He supports the consolidation, but wants to include the fire, police and emergency medical teams all have input before a decision is made.
Other leaders passionately defended their position.
"Currently, what we see here is a hostile takeover," Police Chief Roberto Bryan said, pointing out that past studies have called for the city, not the county, to lead a joint 911 operation. "In our other metropolitan areas like Raleigh ... they’re all city led, because they have the most calls, they have the most personnel."