Both Provo and Orem operate recently upgraded state-of-the-art dispatch centers. At the same time, however, Commissioner Steve White hopes the time comes in the future when all of the county's public safety answering points, or 911 call centers, will be governed from the same source.

"We're not looking at just one dispatch center for the county forever," he said. "We're looking at one governing entity in the county, and hopefully what that will permit is the right person to go to the right address to do the right thing in every case in the county."

Sheriff James Tracy said one of the most overlooked benefits of such a proposal is the unifying of information. He said there is a "quick and readily available exchange of information between jurisdictions when it comes from a connected source."

"The key to good public safety starts with dispatch," he added. " If it's wrong there, it's wrong the rest the way up until somebody can figure out what went wrong."

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