MOWER COUNTY, Minn. – The Mower County Board approved a temporary mutual aid agreement with Rochester to support emergency 911 services amid staffing shortages.
The Mower County Sheriff’s Office said emergency 911 services will continue without interruption or delay during a temporary mutual aid agreement with the Rochester/Olmsted Public Safety Answering Point.
Portland’s Bureau of Emergency Communications hires and trains the employees who answer and dispatch 911 calls. Like 911 centers across the country, many employees left their jobs at the Bureau during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, call volume increased, resulting in long waits before calls were answered.
To address the Bureau’s staffing crisis and help reduce wait times, Emergency Communications’ Training Department increased its recruitment, hiring, and training of dispatcher trainees. Their efforts contributed to dramatically improved staffing at the Bureau and shorter 911 wait times.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hamilton County 911 dispatchers urged Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday to address pay raises after council members unanimously passed the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget without explicitly funding higher wages for emergency operators.
