HERMANN — Two key public service agencies are pulling out of their agreement with the city of Hermann’s dispatch operation, a move that might nudge the city closer to becoming a full-time customer of Gasconade County Central Dispatch.

The city’s Board of Aldermen Monday night approved the termination of the dispatching service contracts with Hermann Area Ambulance District and Hermann Fire Company as of midnight June 30.

In separate letters, the ambulance district and fire protection agency requested termination of the contracts for emergency radio dispatching services provided by the city in favor of the service provided by the Central Dispatch, which handles the county’s Enhanced-911 calls.

Whether this signals Hermann ending its own dispatch operation and joining all other public service agencies called out by Central Dispatch, based in Rosebud, is unclear. However, Hermann recently approved an extension of its short-term contract with Central Dispatch — a move made necessary by the city’s inability to attract a full staff for its own dispatching center in the Hermann Police Department.

Under its contract with Central Dispatch, calls to the city’s police agency are handled from midnight to 6 a.m.

There has been a discussion within the community for several years of whether Hermann should continue operating its own dispatch center or join other communities whose first-responder agencies are called out by Central Dispatch. One argument made by city officials for keeping dispatch services in-house is that the Hermann-area public service agencies are comfortable working with the local dispatchers.

However, this move by the local ambulance and fire agencies means fewer customers for the city’s dispatch center, should it have enough staff to return to full-time operations.