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Communications director: NextGen 911 grant funds added monitors for school camera feeds; dispatch staffing remains thin
Summary
Communications staff told the committee they used NextGen 911 grant money to buy monitors dedicated to school camera systems; dispatch center is down to two full‑time dispatchers with interviews scheduled and call volumes rising year‑to‑date.
Joel, the county communicator, told the Public Safety Committee on Oct. 9 that Sawyer County received funding from a 2025 NextGen 911 grant and used it to purchase additional monitors dedicated to monitoring school camera systems in the dispatch center.
Joel said Director Vercinski and another full‑time dispatcher attended the CIB conference in Green Bay and that the dispatch center is currently operating with two full‑time dispatchers. Background checks have been completed for applicants and interviews were scheduled for Oct. 9. Joel reported total calls for service for September (through Sept. 24) were 1,584 compared with 1,085 for the same period last year; year‑to‑date calls were 12,731.
Joel also said the dispatch center and fire departments are working to deploy “MAVIS,” a mutual aid box alarm system, with monthly training and testing to ensure preparedness. No formal committee action was taken on staffing or the equipment purchases during the meeting.
