Trending
The most important voice an Ohio County resident may ever hear is that of a stranger.
It might come in the middle of the night, when a loved one stops breathing. It might come after a terrible crash, when someone is trapped inside a vehicle. Or it might come when a parent discovers a child is missing.
It is the dispatcher's voice on the other end of a 911 call.
This past week, Ohio County residents learned that the people responsible for answering those calls are working through a significant staffing shortage.
Ohio County 911 Director Rick Pritt told county commissioners that six dispatchers have departed in recent weeks, leaving a communications center that normally employs 16 people scrambling to cover shifts. Four replacements have been hired, but getting them trained and ready for duty takes time. And another dispatcher is expected to retire in November.
Meanwhile, the county is considering spending approximately $160,000 to bring in two temporary dispatchers for six months. Marshall County dispatchers also have agreed to help fill shifts when possible.
County officials deserve credit for taking steps to address the immediate problem. Maintaining adequate emergency communications coverage must be the first priority.
But the situation raises some important questions that commissioners should be asking.
Why have six dispatchers departed in such a short period? Is Ohio County offering competitive wages and benefits? Are scheduling demands and overtime contributing to employee turnover? And what can be done to ensure the county is not facing the same situation six months or a year from now?
Those are questions that deserve answers, particularly when taxpayers may be asked to spend $160,000 on a temporary solution.
Dispatchers are among the most important members of our emergency response system. They are the first point of contact when someone needs help, responsible for gathering information, coordinating emergency personnel and providing instructions that can make the difference between life and death.
It is demanding work, requiring training, sound judgment and the ability to remain calm when the person on the other end of the line may be experiencing the worst moment of his or her life.
It also is work that must be performed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of staffing.
Once this immediate shortage is handled, commissioners must take a hard look at the county's ability to recruit and retain qualified dispatchers.
If wages are an issue, address them. If working conditions or schedules are contributing to turnover, determine what can be improved. If additional resources are necessary, make that discussion a priority during the county's upcoming budgeting process.
Ohio County residents have every reason to expect a dependable emergency communications system. That expectation comes with a responsibility on the part of county government to ensure the people answering those calls have the resources and support necessary to do their jobs.
Commissioners appear to understand the urgency of the current situation. Now they must demonstrate that they have a plan to prevent it from becoming a recurring problem.
When someone calls 911, there is no time to wonder whether enough people are on duty. Help must be there when it is needed.