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Horry County 9‑1‑1 officials report staffing shortfall, cite cross‑agency testing and training needs
Summary
County 9‑1‑1 leaders told the council they are short of their target staffing per shift, have completed multijurisdictional call‑routing tests (including a call exchange with Collier County, Fla.), and are training a recent class of hires; they said hiring and long training cycles are slowing capacity gains.
Horry County’s 9‑1‑1 leadership told council members on Nov. 4 that the dispatch center is operating below its staffing target and is relying on a recent hiring cohort to close the gap. "We'd like to have 16 on each shift. We're down to 12," the 9‑1‑1 chief said.
The chief described operational improvements including a round‑robin test that routed calls among regional centers and, for the first time in the exercise, exchanged calls with Collier County, Florida. He said the center hired 20 new staffers and that training is lengthy — roughly 16 weeks — so bringing new hires to full capability takes months. The presentation noted five new positions were included in the current budget. Council members asked how they could help; the chief said recruitment and timing remain the central constraints.
Council did not take separate action on the 9‑1‑1 report; the update was provided for oversight and future staffing discussions.
