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Lake County E911 updates staffing, training and radio/dispatch system projects
Summary
Staff outlined hiring progress, a training plan including CTO courses, grant-funded training, options for shift scheduling to reduce overtime, and technical projects including backhaul, new radios and RapidSOS/GeoCom mapping work.
E911 staff reported progress on hiring, training and several technology projects, and discussed schedule changes and grants that could reduce overtime and improve service.
Staffing and recruitment: Presenters said the dispatch center has multiple vacancies but is making hires: one new employee has started, one candidate is under a conditional offer, and additional candidates are in the pipeline. The authority noted four total open positions in recent staffing tallies and emphasized continued recruitment efforts.
Training and grant support: The authority is revamping redundant training materials and plans to send two staff members to a three-day Communication Training Officer (CTO) course in Avon in July so they can certify to train others locally. Staff also reported a $1,000 training grant awarded through a local grant program (reported as Chaffee County funding) that will help cover CTO training costs.
Scheduling and overtime: Staff and board members discussed schedule models—10-hour, 12-hour and 4/3 rotations—and the tradeoffs between reducing scheduled overtime and preserving employee pay. Payroll previously produced recurring overtime under the current schedule; staff proposed setting a higher base pay or a differential for night work if the schedule is changed so that employees do not experience a net pay loss. The board asked staff to prepare several scheduling options and cost comparisons for the April meeting.
Technology and projects: - Radios/backhaul: Staff said the microwave backhaul between Hagerman and Leadville is working but required additional work; completion of the final backhaul piece and installation of the APC hardware were expected in mid-February, followed by installation of the Motorola radios (MC7500 line) later in the month. Once installed, staff plan radios acceptance testing and training. - ImageTrend and dispatch interfaces: Staff reported ImageTrend testing is nearly complete for incident-reporting interfaces and that they are working to finish the connection between dispatch and records systems (ImageTrend and CAD integration). - RapidSOS and GeoCom mapping: Staff are pursuing a grant through the marshal’s office to add building-level map overlays (GeoCom) and RapidSOS (geo-location) integration so dispatchers can see precise caller locations inside multi-unit addresses; pricing and grant alignment are being explored.
Why it matters: Filling vacancies and improving training and technical interoperability are intended to reduce response risk, improve call-handling and provide more robust redundancy for county emergency communications.
Next steps: Staff will present scheduling options with cost modeling at the April meeting, pursue the RapidSOS/GeoCom grant discussions with the marshal’s office, finalize ImageTrend interfaces and complete radio installation and testing.
