Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dispatch Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dispatch leaders report CAD upgrade, AI rollout and call-volume data; send two staff to mental-health retreat
Summary
Dispatch leadership told the department they plan a CAD upgrade and AI implementation, reported July call volumes and dropped-call figures, and said two dispatchers will attend a state-run mental-health retreat at Camp Ruthie.
Department dispatch leadership said they are moving forward with a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) upgrade, planned an AI rollout, and will send two dispatchers to a state-run mental-health wellness retreat at Camp Ruthie.
At a department meeting — the first since two staff swapped roles — leaders said they had signed up two dispatchers for the retreat and might attend some sessions themselves. Staff described the retreat as an initial statewide pilot: planners expected about 300 attendees but so far had about 30 signed up; the department estimated the per-attendee cost at roughly $2,300.
Dispatch leadership also said they are preparing a CAD upgrade and expected an implementation demonstration toward the end of the month. They reported that another jurisdiction, Walla Walla, is about two weeks ahead on the same vendor’s rollout.
Staff gave the board operational statistics for July: roughly 1,300 incoming calls to the center, 177 of those classified as 9-1-1 calls, and 772 calls that produced an actual call-for-service dispatched within the county. The department reported 42 dropped cellular calls for the month; staff said dropped calls require callbacks and follow-up. Leadership described the center’s average workload as about 45 calls in a 24-hour period.
Staff said they plan to reassign dispatch partner pairings in 2026 to better match experience and performance and described ongoing training tied to the CAD and AI implementations. A staff member asked permission to work remotely on Fridays as an accommodation for workspace constraints; leaders said remote-work decisions are being handled at the county-policy level and that the request aligns with wider departmental discussions.
Why it matters: call volumes and dropped-call counts illustrate operational strain on the dispatch center and help justify investments in training, wellness programs, software upgrades and possible staffing changes.
Next steps: staff said they will continue CAD implementation planning, proceed with the AI vendor’s onboarding tasks, report back on the CAD demonstration, and provide follow-up information about retreat outcomes and any lessons dispatchers can bring back. The department did not request or receive a formal vote to change staffing levels at this meeting.
