Callahan, John_Correspondence re: 911 Staffing Concerns(11/05/2007) Jeanne Schneider -Support your 911 Center Page 1
From: John Callahan
To: amichalski@cityofdubuque.org; ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org; jconnors63@mch...
Date: 11/04/2007 8:29 PM
Subject: Support your 911 Center
Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, and City Manager,
My name is John Callahan and I have been a Public Safety Dispatcher for
the Dubuque 911 Center for over twenty-one years. I would like to share staffing
concerns that identify the need for more full-time dispatchers. The additional
staffing needs arise from a high turn-over rate and rapidly increasing
responsibilities. Over the years the department has consis#ently seen a shortage
of dispatchers. Canceled vacations, ongoing overtime, forced overtime, denied
time off and the number of canceled slips are not a true representation of the
problem. Many of the full-time staff do not turn in requests for time off due to
the staffing shortage and the knowledge that the requests will be denied.
Ongoing, unsatisfactory staffing levels are negatively impacting services we, as
dispatchers, provide.
The facts are clear; keeping staff at the current level or hoping that pnrt-
time employees will fix the problem is simply not a viable solution. While part-time
employees may be considered a cost effective way to address staffing, it only
increases the already heavy work load of full-time staff to assist with the one year
of training for the part-time employees only to have them leave for full-time work
elsewhere that provides benefits. As Police, Fire, and the Sheriffs department
are stuffed by full-time employees, the Communications Center needs to be ns well.
Full-time staff provides the experience and knowledge to make critical decisions
and judgments with the speed and accuracy required to perform the job.
Members of the communication staff worked with the communications
manager to send out amulti-agency survey comparing population, calls for service,
number of dispatchers working at one time and the hours worked. The survey
results support our request for more manpower. Information on the survey is
available by contacting Mark Murphy. We, along with our new department
manager, are working together to provide excellent service to the community.
Your support of the department will ensure a better future for the 911 Center and
the community.
Sincerely,
(11105/2007) Jeanne Schneider -Support your 911 Center Page 2
John Callahan