by ECC Editor | Nov 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
Sales Tax: Measure Increases Sales Tax by One Tenth of 1 Percent
A sales tax increase that would help fund replacements and upgrades for Thurston County’s primary emergency communication system, owned and operated by Thurston 911 Communications (TCOMM 911), was passing with wide support nearly a week after election day.
On Tuesday morning, Nov. 12, the ballot measure, known as Proposition 1, was passing overwhelmingly with 73.12 percent approval and 26.88 percent against. Early counts show that more than 50,000 voters… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Nov 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
In recent years there’s been a great deal written—some of it by us—about local governments failing to recruit enough employees to fill some of the most vital public sector jobs, including police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and so on.
People intuitively know the implications of these shortages, expecting there will be first responders available to pull them from car wrecks, rescue them from burning houses and administer life-saving drugs in the case of an overdose. But we’ve come across a less-noticed shortage… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Nov 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
Teton County’s communications center has half the dispatchers it needs to adequately answer emergency calls, and that means trouble.
“We are one person away from not being able to answer 911 calls 24/7,” Sheriff Matt Carr told county commissioners Tuesday morning. “This is a crisis.”
The 911 dispatch center is considered fully staffed with 16 full-time dispatchers. Right now the center has eight.
Carr told commissioners that something has to be done or some emergency calls could go unanswered… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Nov 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
Branch County Central Dispatch is back in crisis mode after a dispatcher gave her two-week notice Tuesday to leave for a higher paying job.
Director Kurt Spalding told his board Wednesday an employee hired in July was released from her job October 31 during the probationary period “because of inability to retain and perform functions necessary for her release from the initial training program.”
A new dispatcher was hired October 22 to start training “but a great deal of training is still needed and warranted” before she can be put on duty without supervision… READ MORE
by ECC Editor | Nov 15, 2019 | Comm Center News
A wrench was thrown into the Clackamas 800 Radio Group’s plans to build a public emergency communications facility at Cooks Butte Park after the three Emery sons, whose parents sold Cooks Butte Park to the City in 1975, withdrew their consent for the tower.
“I have significant concerns about officers and public safety not having that site,” said John Hartsock, manager of C800 — a conglomerate of 18 different public safety agencies … READ MORE
