NATCHEZ — The man who helped put together the plan to join city and county emergency dispatching was removed from responsibility for the dispatch center Friday, after continuing criticism of the center’s operations.

While Robert Bradford will remain the county’s E911 director, dispatchers will now report directly to the Adams County E911 Commission, Adams County Board of Supervisors President Mike Lazarus said Friday.

Supervisors met in executive session with Bradford and some members of the E911 commission Friday to discuss Bradford’s performance.

Before the meeting went into executive session, Lazarus asked the E911 commissioners present why Bradford was removed from being over dispatch.

Someone from the audience said it was because the E911 dispatch center was not working, which caused commotion as multiple people started talking all at once.

Supervisors quickly went into executive session.

Lazarus said after the meeting he could not comment on everything said in executive session, but said his takeaway is the commissioners removed Bradford from the communication chain with dispatchers because of the chaos that has been ongoing since dispatch consolidated in April.

“(Bradford) did not lose any portion of his position,” Lazarus said. “They just changed his duties some.”

Bradford said later he is still the 911 director.

“What the board wants is for the dispatch supervisor and the dispatchers to report to them,” Bradford said.

Bradford said the board is pursuing this option to help alleviate problems.

The community has met several times this week to address concerns with dispatchers after several people had difficulties in reporting shootings to dispatchers early Sunday morning. It was not the first time concerns about consolidated dispatch came up, however, as some issues date back to April.

Bradford said consolidation of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and Natchez Police Department dispatchers meant changes would be made, and that everyone is not on board with the changes yet.

“What it boils down to is standards and leadership ability,” Bradford said. “When you put two different entities together, you will have problems.

“What alleviates those problems is having one set of standards. These things are being ironed out. It had not been a year.”

Bradford said he would continue to move forward. His next project would be bringing in a new radio system, MSWIN, which would improve emergency communication throughout the county.

Bradford said he would also continue to support the consolidated dispatch and is open to taking back over his former duties should the board wish it.

“I remain positive,” Bradford said. “I am not going to get mad when things don’t go my way and run. At the end of the day, I just want to do the right thing.

“We are on the right course. I am moving forward.”

District 4 Supervisor Ricky Gray said after the meeting one thing he would like to see supervisors do going forward is interview people going on the various boards and commissions.

Supervisors have typically interviewed prospective school board members, but often appoint people to the port, airport and E911 commissions based on the recommendation of one supervisor, he said.

“If I don’t know a person, I feel like it is unfair to be voting to put him in a very important position like E911, airport, port or school board,” Gray said. “My philosophy is we need to bring them all in and interview them. We have to get beyond this friendship stuff.”

Gray said school board members would receive training, but he thought the county could be better served if it offered training to the other commissioners, as well.

When Gray went to a conference in Columbus recently, Gray said he heard good things about Bradford.

“They said we had one of the best emergency management operators in the state,” he said

Monroe Sago, a member of the E911 commission, could not be reached for comment.

Gordon Brown also could not be reached for comment. Lazarus said Brown resigned from the commission after the meeting Friday, but did not cite a reason.

Other commissioners are Ray Brown, Charles Davidson and Everard Baker.