Fire Marshal: Hood River 911 dispatchers too busy to upgrade

But he also said that current dispatch operations staff are so overworked that switching to the new system can’t start until they get help.

“They’re working 12-, 16-hour days,” Kelly said. “They do not have the capacity to implement a new CAD and do their current jobs until they get more staff.”

Computer assisted dispatch software helps operators prioritize incident responses, send and track the right support, and communicate across agencies.

Kelly told the board that he and Hood River Fire Chief Leonard Damian had asked the sheriff’s office to hire a project manager to implement the new dispatch system, which would include training staff. But that proposal “kind of fell by the wayside,” he said.

To renew efforts, they recently approached county administrators, who are now putting out feelers for possible candidates. Hood River County Administrator Allison Williams told Uplift Local that her staff is discussing the potential of such a hire but no decisions have been made.

At the board meeting, Kelly said that the position needs someone who can manage both the technical and training steps necessary to launch the new system, while keeping the old system operating until it’s time to switch.

Kelly said he didn’t know the cost of hiring a project manager to implement the new dispatch system. Williams told Uplift Local any budget for that would come out of the county’s 911 communications fund, which is paid for by a dedicated percentage of property taxes.

Jim Gray, the West Side Fire District’s board president, agreed that the department is “woefully understaffed” and said it has been a challenge to fill 911 dispatch positions.

The board’s legal counsel, Lesley Haskell, added that in her experience with county government, good dispatchers are always difficult to find.

“The qualities needed of someone to be in that position are extremely unique and most United States populations do not have those qualities,” Haskell said.

Wasco County is also upgrading its 911 dispatch system, which will be integrated with The Dalles and the Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue systems.

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