911 CENTER FOP asks for two in dispatch

The county's 911 dispatch staff is down to nine employees because of layoffs, resignations and retirements.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Talks of merging the city and Mahoning County's 911 operations may affect the future, but the county needs more dispatchers now.
That was the message Tuesday from two Fraternal Order of Police officials representing 911 dispatchers to Mahoning County commissioners.
The union leaders asked commissioners to provide money to bring back two laid-off employees. The department once had 18 workers, but that number has dwindled to nine because of layoffs, retirements and resignations.
The 911 center, which is part of the county's emergency management and communications department, operates 24 hours a day, every day. Employees also provide police dispatching for 13 agencies.
"The numbers just don't work," said Chuck Wilson, FOP staff representative. For the number of calls the 911 center receives, Wilson said the staffing is "ridiculously low. ... Running at nine -- you're just waiting for a problem."
Layoffs in 2005
Five dispatchers were laid off in April 2005, after a 0.5-percent sales tax issue was defeated in November 2004 and the county responded to the loss of $12 million in revenue.
The same sales tax was approved by voters in May 2005.
Three laid-off dispatchers have taken other jobs or moved, and the other two remain in the area, said Dave Catauro, president of the dispatchers' union. Bringing them back would provide "tremendous relief," he added.
Vacations and sick time weren't burdensome when the department had 18 dispatchers, Catauro said. The current staffing level means fewer dispatchers working per shift and more overtime to fill gaps in the schedule, he noted.
County budget director George Tablack wondered how much compensatory time dispatchers are accumulating, calling it a "contingent liability" for the county.
Merger scenarios
A nine-person committee has been discussing 911 merger scenarios involving Youngstown, the county and possibly Trumbull County. Proponents believe a merger will save money by reducing duplication of facilities and equipment. The effect on jobs depends on whether centers are understaffed in relation to call volume.
Asked by Commissioner John McNally IV about the financial effects of a merger, Wilson said it would be cheaper to integrate those services. Wilson doesn't anticipate a merger occurring soon, however, because there are "a lot of stakeholders" involved who don't want to give up their authority, he said.
Wilson recalled discussing the merger idea with the county's former human resources director, J. Kevin Sellards, about six years ago.
"We can't live for tomorrow. The phones are still ringing today," he said.
The FOP and county also are in contract negotiations. The dispatchers' previous contract expired Dec. 31.
shaulis@vindy.com