The Owensboro-Daviess County 911 Dispatch Center is facing staffing shortages, and officials are discussing different incentives and options to find and retain employees.
Director Paul Nave said in a recent board meeting that the staffing shortages faced by those in dispatch mirror the issues faced by other first response agencies across the country.
Currently, the 911 Dispatch Center is down two full-time and five part-time employees, though Nave said he recently hired three more to the team.
“We’re doing everything we can to retain our employees. We’re looking at options,” Nave said. “There are several things on the plate right now.”
Nave declined to share details related to those options for time being, but said he hoped they would incentivize more people to consider a job in dispatch.
The obstacles are steep when working as a first responder in dispatch. The office must provide service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. It also takes an applicant six months to become fully trained for the position.
Making the staffing shortage an even bigger challenge is the fact that the dispatch center has experienced an increase in calls over the last several months due to COVID-19.
“We understand the situation because they can’t breathe. It could be serious,” Nave said. “Right now, the calls [pertaining to COVID-19] are steady, but they’ve gradually increased. We’re taking more 911 calls than normal because of that.”
Though the staffing issues remain — especially during the holidays when more people request time off — Nave commended his team for their dedication to the job and their desire to keep the community safe at all times. “Inventive” scheduling and dispatchers “stepping up to the plate” to cover time slots has made the process smoother for everyone, he said.
“I have a phenomenal team, and I’m so proud of them,” he added. “They truly care for the people in our community.”
