Emergency dispatchers are in high demand right now in Boone County.
“We are eight dispatchers and one supervisor down now,” Boone County Human Resources Director Lori Zombek said. “There’s 27 dispatchers. We’re down a little more than a third. We’re advertising on national platforms.”
The dispatchers work within the Public Safety Communications Center – which processes 911 calls, as well as other non-emergency public safety calls, among its functions.
According to the Boone County website, the center serves all cities and unincorporated areas within Boone County – noting it also performs additional functions that include warrant communications, state and national law enforcement communications, weather monitoring, river dispatch and alarm monitoring.
Boone County has dispatcher jobs listed on many recruiting platforms, including ZipRecruiter.com, LinkedIn.com and Indeed.com. The Indeed.com listing references starting pay as $24.17 plus shift differential for second and third shifts, plus benefits.
According to the Indeed.com listing, dispatcher duties include answering 911 non-emergency phone lines, completing requests for information and more. Find the full list of duties at indeed.com.
During the June 27 Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, the body voted to approve hiring two Public Safety Communications Center dispatchers – with officials noting the action was in the wake of a pair of recent dispatcher resignations.
“We still have some real needs at the dispatching center,” County Administrator Jeff Earlywine said. “Lori (Zombek) and her team and Sherri Knipper – we’re looking under rocks at all places.”
