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Sargent asks Hancock County to recognize communications officers as first responders; sheriff highlights wellness support
Summary
Sargent Mark Price asked Hancock County Commissioners to approve a resolution reclassifying communications officers as first responders to expand access to mental-health programs; Sheriff Cortez supported the request, citing available funding for post-traumatic stress services and a new wellness assessment policy. No formal vote on the reclassification was recorded.
At a March 5 meeting, Sargent Mark Price asked Hancock County Commissioners to approve a resolution reclassifying Communications Officers as first responders so they could access specialized mental-health programs.
"They experience just as much trauma as the law enforcement officers. They are the first contact for all emergency situations," Sargent Mark Price said, arguing that dispatchers routinely encounter traumatic incidents and should have equivalent access to supports.
Sheriff Cortez backed the request and said funding has become available for post-traumatic stress resources. He also described a new wellness assessment policy intended to ensure personnel answering emergency calls are fit for duty.
"We have an obligation to the people that we serve. If somebody calls in with an emergency, they need to know they are going to have somebody in sound mind with no issues or problems assisting to get the help that is needed," Sheriff Cortez said.
The minutes record discussion of the number of communications officers employed, their office space and the evolution of their responsibilities, but they do not record a formal motion or vote adopting the reclassification at this meeting. Commissioners heard the request and discussed it with law enforcement leadership; no implementation timing or vote outcome is shown in the minutes.
What happens next: The transcript records the request and supporting statements; any formal resolution or vote would need to be brought back to the board in a later meeting for a recorded decision.
