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Scotts Bluff County appoints communications center director; sheriff's office to phase back oversight
Summary
The county appointed Linda Howard as director of its communications/911 center and agreed that the sheriff's office will continue operational oversight and training support during a transition period of roughly three to six months.
The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Linda Howard as director of the county communications center (911 operations) following an interview panel recommendation.
A selection committee that included sheriff's office and emergency-service leaders interviewed four applicants in December and recommended Howard based on leadership, supervisory experience and dispatch expertise, county officials said. Troy Brown, the county's chief deputy sheriff, and Commissioner Mike Blue both described Howard's presentation and qualifications as strong and said her hiring would help advance training and mutual-aid dispatch capacity in the region.
The board voted to appoint Howard to the director role. Commissioners and law-enforcement leaders discussed the near-term operational impact: the center will need to hire and train at least one or two additional dispatchers to replace supervisory capacity and sustain expanded responsibilities, and the sheriff's office agreed to continue oversight and training support during the director's transition.
County staff budgeted $15,000 for sheriff oversight in the current year. Sheriff's office leaders said they would continue assisting the communications center until the director's staff are fully trained and the center attains stable operations; they and commissioners estimated a phased handoff could take three to six months and recommended reviewing the arrangement at the end of the county's fiscal year.
Why it matters: Filling the communications director position affects 911 dispatch staffing, training and emergency-response coordination across county law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies. The board emphasized a gradual turnover of operational oversight to avoid service interruptions.
Next steps: The communications center will recruit replacement supervisors/dispatchers as needed and coordinate with the sheriff's office on training and continuity; the board will revisit the oversight funding at an appropriate time during the transition.
