GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Numerous Brown County Dispatchers have once again voiced their concerns to the county board regarding staffing and long hours at the 911 dispatch center.
Brown County 911 center dispatchers say they’re in survival mode as they have been filling the gaps in service amid staffing shortages.
“Does our center need change? Absolutely. Do we need a new schedule that’s accommodating to our lack of employees? Absolutely. Do we need to do it at the expense of the employees that are already there holding on by a thread? No.” said Nicole Topeka.
Dispatchers sounded the alarm over working long hours and potentially forcing dispatchers to work on their day off during Wednesday night’s Brown County Board of Supervisors meeting.
“Looking at us to go 60, 70, potentially 80 hours and being called in on the days off and 24/7 is just, it’s mind boggling,” said Kirk Parker.
Public Safety Communications Director Chancey Huntzinger says a proposed new policy would provide a structure for how people are brought in for extra hours, to avoid people from having to work a forced 14 hour shift.
“It’s very close to what the current policy is. What we have added is 36-hour team members hitting 40 hours (per week),” said Huntzinger. “And then what we also took away from that is we said no more forced 14’s unless it was an extreme situation.”
The policy would also set guidelines for possibly requiring people to work on their day off.
“It would go to the team member with the lowest amount of hours scheduled for that week,” said Huntzinger.
That new policy is set to go into effect June 1, but is currently under review.
Understaffing has been a continued issue for Brown County dispatch.
Huntzinger says they’re looking to fill 20 positions, and have three new hires that are starting next week.
County leaders recognize increasing staff support is going to be a long process.
“As was stated by some of the people, you just can’t train people overnight,” said Pat Buckley, Brown Co. Board of Supervisors Chair.
