(Spirit Lake)– The days of only having one dispatcher on duty at all times in the Dickinson County Communications Center may be about to end.
Sheriff Greg Baloun says new demands, such as monitoring the high-tech security system in the new courthouse and opening secure doors throughout the facility, are too much for one person to handle. Not to mention the ever-increasing volume of calls coming into the center.
Baloun told the board of supervisors Tuesday he’s going to propose a budget that includes provisions for having two dispatchers on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week in the Comm Center. He says one of the dispatchers would serve as a secondary dispatcher, responsible for opening doors and monitoring the courthouse security system. The primary dispatcher would be responsible for 911 and other emergency calls.
Baloun says dispatchers are spending more and more time pushing buttons to open security doors in the new courthouse, and he says that’s going to increase even more when the second phase of the new building is completed. He says the dispatchers also spend a lot of time resetting alarms when the security doors are open longer than they’re supposed to be. He’s concerned it will soon become more than what just one person can handle.
Baloun adds several neighboring counties already have two dispatchers on duty simultaneously around the clock.
