VIDEO: One Local County Has A Big Need To Hire More 911 Dispatchers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-They’re the people you call when you have an emergency, but the Lowndes County E911 service is finding it hard to get the right people for the job.

Two months ago, Supervisors dissolved the E911 board and placed EMA Director Cindy Lawrence in charge.

Lawrence has reached out to response agencies, including the Columbus Police Department, asking for their assistance.

Police Chief Oscar Lewis understands how understaffed the E911 call center is.

Over the weekend, Lewis sent out a memo asking his department to lend a helping hand.

Lewis’s memo said CPD will help answer phone calls as well as take notes.

“I met with the response agencies on last week to talk with them about the assistance they can provide for us with 911, in the event that we have an emergency situation we need them there,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence is working hard to restructure the call center.

The 911 department currently only has 15 workers.

Though they’re understaffed, some county leaders are still pleased with all of the current operations.

“We have qualified people working for Lowndes county E911,” said District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith. “Those people are responsible for the response calls for the entire county. I feel confident that those people are qualified people that the department has operating and they’re doing a great job.”

However, in order to restructure the department and become fully staffed, Lawrence said it means needing to hire more workers.

“I’d like to have at least four dispatchers per shift,” Lawrence expressed. “Right now we have four shifts, two shifts in the day and two at night, and as a part of restructuring I am wanting to hire new dispatchers.”

But finding reliable and qualified employees hasn’t always been easy.

“It’s been hard because getting people to multi-task and typing and listening to the calls is difficult for some people,” Lawrence explained. “I don’t know if they are not understanding when they actually take the test, we do give them a test where you have to write down what you hear, and I think that’s something they don’t understand is the multi-tasking.”

Despite the struggle, Lawrence remains confident she’ll find the dedicated and dependable workers she needs.

In fact, she’s expects the department to be fully staffed by September.

“I’m trying to find people who are dependable, 21 years of age, have a high school diploma, and you have to multi-task,” said Lawrence when describing traits she looks for in candidates. “Know how to listen to a call, understand what they’re saying, and typing in the information and dispatching, all within minutes.”

The E911 call center is currently hiring.

If anyone is interested in applying, visit their office at the courthouse between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. to pick up an application.