Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the 911 Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Douglas County 911 reports increased applicants; dispatchers down 5 of 49 authorized positions
Summary
Kathy Allen, Douglas County 911 director, told the Criminal Justice Committee the center is answering about 90% of calls within 10 seconds, has received more than 200 applicants for operator/dispatcher roles and has interviewed roughly 75 candidates; the dispatch authorized level is 49 with five vacancies while operator authorizations are 19 with
Kathy Allen, director of Douglas County 911, updated the Criminal Justice Committee on staffing and call‑answer performance.
Allen said the center is answering about 90% of calls within 10 seconds or less, and that recruiting has improved: more than 200 applicants applied for operator/dispatcher roles and staff conducted about 75 interviews. She said the center can be selective because of the stronger applicant pool and that many candidates have prior dispatch experience.
On staffing numbers Allen reported the dispatch authorized level is 49 positions and the center currently has five vacancies; the operator complement is authorized at 19 with two vacancies. She said recent departures were mostly due to retirements and that planned hires from the current recruiting pool should fill authorized staffing levels.
Commissioners asked whether the department’s authorized versus on‑hand staffing figures fluctuate and Allen noted that retirements have driven recent openings; she added that the center’s inability to offer remote work makes the job less comparable with other positions that can be performed from home, but that a return to office‑based hiring has helped the applicant pool.
Ending: Allen said onboarding from the current hiring round should restore the center to authorized staffing; no formal committee action was taken.
