One place staffing shortages
are being felt acutely
across the state
in 911 emergency call centers
among dispatchers.
What does a shortage
of dispatchers mean for
emergency response
in your community
and others?
You know, we've been able
to backfill it
with our dedicated men
and women
at our dispatch center
but the fear
across the state
and in our county especially
is when they burn out
and they leave
and we get any shorter
we're going to struggle
with having someone
answer that
call for service.
When someone calls
for that immediate need
a fire, EMS
or law enforcement
we need a proper
timely response.
We need
a trained dispatcher
to gather all the
adequate information
to get the right first
responders there.
And, if they're tired
if they're calling in sick
and we don't have the staff to
to sit in that dispatch center
there is going to be
a delay in
first responder services
which is a public
safety issue.