Help is on the way: Shawnee County tries to address shortfall of 911 dispatchers

A decade ago, Shawnee County Sheriff's officials expressed concern that the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center  — which answers 911 calls for that office — employed only 30 dispatchers.

Now, that center employs 19 dispatchers, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office said Wednesday in response to a query from The Capital-Journal.

The CECC also has two dispatchers in the training process, however, and recently extended four conditional offers of employment to prospective candidates, said Deputy Abigail Christian, spokeswoman.

Here's how much Shawnee County will pay dispatchers it's seeking to hire

The Capital-Journal contacted Christian about staffing levels at the CECC on Wednesday after receiving an email from an anonymous person who voiced concern that staffing there had gotten unusually low.

Christian responded, "While we have had some recent success in this area, recruiting, hiring and retention remains a constant challenge — as it currently is for all public safety agencies throughout the country."

The sheriff's office has fewer dispatchers than it would prefer but doesn't believe, at this point, that staffing levels create a public safety issue, Christian said.

Dispatchers for the CECC, which is part of the sheriff’s office, answer emergency calls while coordinating radio communications of local law enforcement and firefighting agencies.

Its dispatchers are also known as communications specialists.

The CECC's number of dispatchers tends to fluctuate, Shawnee County commissioners heard June 27 from Jeremy Rabb, director of the sheriff's office's communications division.

"We definitely need to start getting more numbers in there," he said.

The CECC has 11 open vacancies for dispatchers, Christian said Wednesday, adding that it is seeking to hire beginning dispatchers for $21.01 an hour and a dispatch shift supervisor for $24.04 an hour.

Concern expressed about dispatchers' long hours, comparatively low pay

The sender of the anonymous email The Capital-Journal received voiced concern that the county might lose some skilled dispatchers due to their overwhelming workload and the comparatively low hourly wage they receive considering the challenging nature of their work.

The county website acknowledges dispatchers are required to "work most holidays, weekends and hours other than regular daytime schedule."

The CECC has historically sought to keep its shifts filled by often calling upon dispatchers to work overtime.

Shawnee County is negotiating its dispatchers' contract for the 2025-26 fiscal year with the labor union that represents them in collective bargaining, said Amanda Monhollon, the county's public information officer.

Providing a competitive wage for dispatchers is "paramount to retaining qualified personnel," Christian said.

"In this arena, Shawnee County competes with a number of surrounding counties, as well as the Kansas Highway Patrol and a number of state agencies that are hiring for public safety-related positions," she said.

Here's how to become a 911 dispatcher for Shawnee County

Christian encouraged anyone interested in becoming an emergency dispatcher to apply using the Shawnee County human resources website or by calling sheriff's Sgt. Henry Harmon at 785-251-2267 or emailing him at Henry.Harmon@snco.us.

"When a prospective employee reaches out, whether by phone, email, text, or through social media, we will arrange a time for that individual to come into the office for a tour and an observation period with current dispatchers," she said.

To be hired, the county's website said , prospective dispatchers must possess a high school diploma or GED certificate; have no felony convictions; type 35 words per minute; be able to lift 50 pounds; and pass a '"CritiCall Exam" that assesses whether they have the skills and abilities needed to be a dispatcher.

Applicants must also pass a background investigation, pre-employment physical exam and drug screening, that website said.

Those who are hired are required within one year of becoming employed to receiving certification as an operator from the National Crime Information Center, the county's website said .

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Help is on the way: Shawnee County tries to address shortfall of 911 dispatchers