Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the 911 Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
9‑1‑1 director seeks phased staffing increase to separate call‑taking from dispatch
Summary
Laura Forshee, Sedgwick County’s 9‑1‑1 director, proposed adding 20 positions in a phased approach to separate call‑taking from dispatching based on a Jensen Hughes analysis and Erlang staffing modeling; the county discussed equipment, phased implementation and service-level tradeoffs.
Laura Forshee, Sedgwick County 9‑1‑1 director, asked commissioners to approve a phased staffing plan to separate routine 9‑1‑1 call‑taking from radio dispatch duties.
Forshee said industry analysis by Jensen Hughes recommends removing dual headset ‘dichotic listening’—when staff simultaneously monitor radio channels and telephone calls—and creating dedicated call‑taking and dispatcher roles so each receives undivided attention. “If you call 911, you deserve the undivided attention of the person that’s taking your call,” Forshee said. Forshee described the current center as having 91 combined call‑taker/dispatcher positions; modeling indicates the center would ideally run with roughly 61 call‑takers and 78 dispatchers to fully separate the two duties.
Forshee proposed a phased start of 20 new positions next year, describing it as a “paced approach” to improve safety and build training capacity while staff evaluate efficiencies. She said the Erlang calculator and internal call‑volume data were used to derive hourly staffing recommendations and that current performance often meets the 90% of calls answered within 15 seconds benchmark but that separation would require additional staff to maintain service levels once roles are divided.
Commissioners asked about rollout options, cost, available workspace and the capital cost of consoles and phones. Forshee confirmed floor space exists for additional consoles but the phones/console hardware is a separate budget request; commissioners said they preferred a phased approach to spread cost and assess results. Public safety leaders at the meeting emphasized that specialization aligns with national trends and helps protect workers from overload while improving field response coordination.
No formal vote was taken. County staff and the 9‑1‑1 director agreed to return with phased staffing cost breakdowns, hardware cost details and performance‑metric projections tied to each phase before a final budget decision.
