Finance Board Approves Funds For Dispatcher Training

When one full-time police dispatcher left for another opportunity and then another part-time dispatcher followed suit, it left the department a bit thin.

After advertising for the position and receiving more than 40 resumes, the interviewed internal and external candidates resulting in the hiring of an already-on-board part-timer to accept the full-time position.

"That leaves us now without two part-time dispatchers," said Major Thomas Lucas of the CPD.

The emergency communication center at the policed department has six full-time dispatchers (this number includes the person who resigned). The number of part-time employees varies, but they have at least four part-time employees (also including the one who left) to cover five shifts a week. Some part-time employees work a scheduled shift per week and some part-time dispatchers work on call basis.

"We strive to keep two dispatchers on each day shift and evening shift, with the midnight shift only having one dispatcher," said Lucas. "We want to have two dispatchers on days and evenings due to the combined call volume for both the police department and fire department. The dispatchers have to answer emergency calls for both the fire and police department and dispatch routine and emergency calls for both agencies. They also answer routine calls for the police and the dog warden, and other calls when people don’t know who to call."

State regulations mandate that a new part-time or full-time dispatcher must go through training to become certified in the field. The training takes on average five weeks.

"All dispatchers either part-time or full-time receive the same mandated training and are required to keep the same certifications up to date," added Lucas.

On October 17, the Board of Finance unanimously approved spending $12,300 out of a budgeted line item for overtime salaries for the department for dispatcher training.

The $12,300 includes tuition for classes, the hours to attend the training, on the job training, uniforms and pre-employment physical, eye, hearing and drug testing.

The dispatchers are required to have a weeklong State of Connecticut-run dispatch class, emergency medical dispatch, 911 and other training.

The state reimburses the town $778 for tuition for both new dispatchers to attend the emergency medical training if successfully completed.