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Lackawanna County 911 center cites heavy call volume, seeks dispatchers
Summary
Lackawanna County officials say the county's 911 center handled more than 362,000 calls in 2024 and is recruiting new dispatchers, with a training class planned by the end of the month.
Lackawanna County officials said the county's 911 center handled more than 362,000 phone calls in 2024 and dispatched about 262,000 incidents across police, fire and emergency medical services, and they announced immediate recruitment for new 911 dispatchers.
"The role of a 9 1 1 dispatcher is vital," said Harold Paul Murphy, training and quality assurance supervisor for Lackawanna County 911. "The training process to become a 9 1 1 dispatcher is fairly intensive. There's a lot to learn in a short amount of time."
Murphy spoke during a presentation at the Lackawanna County Public Safety Center, a facility that houses the Lackawanna County Emergency Management Agency and the Lackawanna County Department of Emergency Services. Al Carney, director of Lackawanna County 911, said the center took in "362,000 plus calls" and dispatched "262,000 incidents" in 2024.
Carney, who said he has been employed with the center for 30 years and the last five as director, urged applicants to consider the job, saying the center trains multiple times a year and plans to begin its next training class "by the end of the month." "We currently have openings right now," he said. "This isn't just a problem here in Lackawanna County. It's a nationwide problem."
Speakers described the work as continuous and high-stakes. "That's the neat part about this job is that we never close. We're always open," Murphy said, adding dispatchers are "always here to help anyone who has an emergency or crisis or any type of need."
The recording included live dispatch examples that illustrated the range of incidents handled by the center, including a report of a dumpster fire and a motor-vehicle patient with chest pain. Those exchange lines were not attributed to named staff in the presentation.
Officials encouraged anyone interested in dispatcher positions to contact the county 911 center or their local 911 center. No specific salary range or hiring deadline was provided in the presentation.
