Changes coming to Saco's public safety dispatch

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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	July, 2009	Return to newsletter index

One of the least understood-and least appreciated-positions in the public safety field is that of public safety dispatcher. Everyone is familiar with firefighters and police officers, and most citizens have at least some personal interaction with them from time to time, either because officers are in their neighborhood or the fire department rescue or a fire truck responded to a call. It is the dispatcher, however, that the public speaks with and who determines what resources and personnel to send to an emergency.

Saco currently has two certified Public Safety Dispatchers on duty for each shift who are responsible for dispatching Police, Fire and Rescue. When a dispatch vacancy develops on a shift generally a Patrol Officer from the shift schedule is taken off the road and utilized to fill the vacancy. He or she works alongside the remaining certified dispatcher and handles mainly police service calls. This has been a common practice for many years and although it makes economic sense because it reduces overtime costs, it does come with a price in terms of the impact it can have on the level of service.

Even though Patrol Officers do an excellent job when they fill dispatch vacancies they lack much of the specialty training that certified dispatchers have received. Certified Dispatchers have additional training with regard to the Metro Teletype System, Emergency Medical Dispatch, and in particular, Fire Dispatch. Unfortunately Patrol Officers do not receive any of this training.

The fact that Patrol Officers lack the advanced training handicaps their ability to perform certain tasks in dispatch and the workload is not always shared equally. This can place an unintended burden on the Certified Dispatcher who is working a shift with a Patrol Officer. This is most prevalent when a serious fire call is received such as a structure fire or even in the case of multiple rescue calls.

All of this will change in the coming fiscal year thanks in part to the Saco City Council. Chief Alden Murphy of the Fire Department and Chief Brad Paul of the Police Department felt very strongly that the dispatch position had become too complex to have a dispatch vacancy filled by a Patrol Officer who, through no fault of his or her own, simply lacked all of the necessary training to fully do the job.

The Council agreed with the two chiefs and approved the hiring of one additional dispatcher to help fill vacancies when they arise. The hiring of an additional dispatcher will eliminate the need to have Patrol Officers fill dispatcher vacancies and allow the Patrol Officer to return to his regular patrol duties. Although some officers will be pleased that they will no longer have to work in dispatch there are some who have expressed an interest in continuing to fill dispatch vacancies.

Any officer who does have an interest will be provided with all of the additional training that certified dispatchers receive so that they may also become certified and will be able to offer Saco's citizens a fully qualified dispatcher to help with their needs.