911 WE NEED YOU McCone County DISPATCH Needs You

by Marcie Brost

As a newspaper owner I of course do not have health insurance so I work part time (Full time lately), to have health insurance. It has been a great job. Everyone there is supportive of me doing the Banner on my night shift. We do have training we are required to do monthly.

Virginia Richardson, McCone County 911 Coordinator/McCone County Sheriff Administrative Asst., has been burning the candle at both ends and finally stopped to take a breath and I took this chance to discuss how we could get interest in becoming a McCone Dispatcher. Virgina has been working at dispatch for twenty-years. The positions needed are one part time and one full time, depending on the needs of the person applying for position. I know one of the reasons I ended up dispatching was the need for medical insurance and as a part-time employee I am eligible for the great benefits offered by the County.

Benefits/hours needed? An employee would need to work a minimum of 20 hours a week in order to qualify for full health insurance. Holiday, vacation & sick leave are prorated based on the average number of hours worked in the pay period. Our schedule includes 8- and 12-hour shifts. Weekend shifts (Fri-Sun) are always 12 hours so that all employees usually get two weekends off and then work one weekend. We also try to keep dispatchers on the same shift or at least not make them work nights if they are an evening person and vice versa. The positions available now are mostly evenings or nights. Evening is the one that could be full-time if desired.

How many dispatchers is the perfect number?

A majority of our telecommunicators are part-time employees, so the perfect number is six plus a supervisor. Two dispatchers being full-time or almost full-time and four part-time. If we had all full-time, then the perfect number would be five plus a supervisor. The part-time positions with insurance have been a big help in attracting dispatchers. People like that flexibility so they can work a 2nd job, or some have loved the part-time as a way to stay active in the work force without having to commit to a full-time position somewhere. Part-time makes it much easier to swap shifts and cover for emergencies.

The great thing is that our telecommunicators are truly like a small family. We love and support each other and try hard to respect one another's time and commitments.

How much does one make as dispatcher?

McCone County pays employees a percentage of the county clerk base pay. Starting wage for this position will be 60% of base which is $14.63 per hour and up depending on experience, with increases after six months, 9 months and one year. Pay after one year will be $17.07 per hour which is 70% of the current base. In addition to the wages, they receive health insurance, retirement, vacation and sick leave.

What does dispatch do for the community?

In 2022, there were 632 calls to 911 and 3601 additional administrative calls that were handled by McCone County 911 Dispatchers. Our dispatchers also handle walk-in complaints; maintain radio communication with officers, fire, and ambulance; monitor court ordered female urine testing; administer court ordered breathalyzer testing; process sex and violent offender registrations; enter and follow-up on warrants, orders of protection, and stolen items in the state Criminal Justice Information Network and our local records system; enter citations; issue burn permits; monitor controlled burns; process concealed weapon permits; issue dog tags; control the key check-out for community buildings city water; monitor city sewer & local building alarms; issue livestock market permits; and processing civil papers for service.

Why is local dispatch so important?

Keeping a local dispatch provides fast, knowledgeable support to those calling with an emergency as well as to local emergency responders and law enforcement. Many times, our dispatchers are able to connect faces to names and names to places, providing a level of safety. Many of our dispatchers know where our landmarks and what the common nicknames are, but it's not likely that a 911 operator in another county will know where those are located. Giving 911 to those unfamiliar with our people and our county would create a greater potential for lines of communication to be broken.

When should someone call 911 rather than the local number?

Anytime there is an emergency, we ask that people call 911. We get a lot of instant information from a 911 call that we don't obtain from an administrative call. Most importantly, we can usually see your location. We can't always hear what a person is saying when they are panicked or calling from outside. If we can't hear, seeing the location on the map is very helpful. If we don't get an accurate location, it makes it very difficult for responders to get to you in a timely manner.

What is something readers should know about?

The job of a telecommunicator is one of the most underrated jobs in the public safety industry. If you work in a one-person agency, then it's up to you to handle all of that by yourself. We've all been there at one time or another, working an extreme amount of radio traffic and phone calls to handle, while keeping the responders and citizens safe. You never know what's going to happen. Every day is different, but it's very rewarding to be able to help the community in that capacity

What is something readers should know about?

The job of a telecommunicator is one of the most underrated jobs in the public safety industry. If you work in a one-person agency, then it's up to you to handle all of that by yourself. We've all been there at one time or another, working an extreme amount of radio traffic and phone calls to handle, while keeping the responders and citizens safe. You never know what's going to happen. Every day is different, but it's very rewarding to be able to help the community in that capacity.

Where would dispatch go?

I don't know for sure. That would have to be determined by several factors. Any agency in NE MT could be an option. A few have similar software products, some are more familiar with our county, communication factors, costs to merge, etc. would all be items to be considered.

How does someone apply?

Applications can be picked up at the McCone County Sheriff's Office, at Job Service, or by filling out and printing the application found at this website:

EDITORS NOTE:

I have held many different type of jobs, but I can honestly say the McCone County Dispatch has slowly became one of the most rewarding and family atmospheres to call work. I work the Night shift and if it is not inundated with phone calls I am given time to work on our Banner. Is the job stressful, it can be but it is a needed service. I encourage anyone slightly interested to reach out to the Sheriff's office directly. Or use the website ort contact Marcie at the Circle Banner for more information.