911 director: Meriwether dispatchers answered calls rapidly in 2025; eight openings remain
Summary
Brent Jones, the county 911/EMA director, reported that dispatch average answer time was about 3.2 seconds in 2025 and that the center handled roughly 41,749 documented calls; he said training capacity limits how many new trainees can be onboarded simultaneously.
Brent Jones, Meriwether County’s 911 and EMA director, told commissioners that the dispatch center handled about 41,749 documented calls in 2025 and met aggressive answer‑time goals. "Average time is 3.2 seconds, and and that's from the time that we take the call," Jones said, summarizing dispatch performance. He added that the call‑handling process typically takes about two minutes and that serious calls should be dispatched within 45 seconds.
Jones described workforce and training constraints: the center currently has eight openings and trains up to four trainees at a time because each trainee requires a dedicated trainer. He estimated roughly $28,000 to train a dispatcher through the necessary six‑month on‑the‑job process and said staff are using a Virtual Academy program to improve training and track progress. Commissioners discussed training capacity and requested follow‑up information on recruitment and retention.
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