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911 dispatch chief reports staffing shortfall and a new records system due in June
Summary
City dispatch leadership said the 911 center has 17 dispatchers, four administrative staff and two part-time employees, is short several positions per shift, and expects a new records-management system in June to improve interoperability with the sheriff’s office and incident visibility.
Chief Gerke, representing dispatch, told the workshop that the city’s public-safety answering point has a staff of 17 dispatchers, four administrative staff and two part-time employees. He said the center is short of the staffing level the department considers needed for safe operations and that the department would like six dispatchers per shift (noting a broader target of seven where feasible).
Gerke described a planned records-management upgrade and said the new system should be in place in June; he said the sheriff’s office is also implementing the same system, which will allow agencies to visualize units and incidents in real time and improve coordination in active incidents.
The chief said classification as first responders by the state in September 2019 reflected recognition of the center’s expanded responsibilities as the county’s public-safety answering point. He also described training tiers for dispatchers and explained hiring and training constraints, including the length of the hiring process and additional qualifications for some candidates.
The update was informational; no council action or personnel vote occurred at the workshop.
