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Dispatcher layoffs raise safety concerns

By Joe Johnson
jjohnson@HanfordSentinel.com

Recent layoffs imposed on the Kings County Sheriff's Office will now require multiple public safety organizations to communicate over a single dispatch line, rather than the two they've used in the past. The Sheriff's Office says they will only be able to operate the "secondary law channel" on a temporary basis, meaning the Sheriff's Office, Probation Department, Animal Control, District Attorney's Office, Human Services and the Ag Commissioner will all have to share the primary line.

"These channels have to be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," Assistant Sheriff Brian Wheat said. "Given the current staffing level, this the best option we have. It's not perfect, but it's the best we can do."

Chief Probation Officer Steve Brum said there is potential for officer safety to be put in danger by this move, but that they would "just have to make do."

"We're in a budget situation where we all have to deal with things like this," Brum said.

A memo issued by the Sheriff's Office on Wednesday says the secondary channel will only be open on a "limited basis depending on staffing level."

The Sheriff's Office is hoping that the new computer system being implemented county-wide will help reduce some dispatch traffic.

County Supervisor Richard Valle says this is a move that could jeopardize public safety.

"What if there comes a time when someone calls 911 and it doesn't get picked up?" Valle said. "These dispatchers are on the front line of public safety. These are people sitting in a little room, answering phone calls every three minutes, checking on officers to make sure they are all right, sending out backup and doing all this while working 12 hour shifts. I don't think their work is appreciated enough."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(July 4, 2009)

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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Hanford Sentinel

ronk6ur wrote on Jul 4, 2009 7:37 AM:

" Whose bonehead idea was it to reduce the number of dispatchers? After listening to the
police and sheriff dispatchers for well over a year
now, I for one appreciate their skills.

I want names of the big shots that layed off these
people. It's a wrong move and I hope it's something not to be regreted in the future. "

Too much wrote on Jul 4, 2009 9:07 AM:

" If there is no funding the positions had to be cut. When you loose a city who put up 300,000 dollars positions have to go. If they were not cut who gets cut? Roads dept? Probation? Sheriff deputy? is that fair. no...There are plenty of dispatchers, they are just playing games now. Times are hard, everyone is cutting they have to take their share like everyone dept is. Quit whinning and do your job. "

ronk6ur wrote on Jul 4, 2009 2:19 PM:

" For Too Much:
"...Do my job... I'm retired.
I see city/county employees driving plainly marked
county vehicles coming home during the day all the
time and parking out front so people can see the
trucks, you know they are not on county business.
I'm not talking lunch breaks either. It's plain to see
that their jobs are not important to put in 8 hrs/day. "

manuel wrote on Jul 4, 2009 5:29 PM:

" Why is the sheriff concerned, is he not the one who recommended this to happen "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 4, 2009 8:38 PM:

" To: Too much wrote on Jul 4, 2009 9:07 AM:

This made more sense when it was first reported. The three laid off Dispatchers, worked eight hour shifts and the loss of Lemoore Police Dispatching meant the loss of three dispatchers. So how does this work two dispatchers work twelve hours and the third one is off? I don’t get the entire shift scenario?

The timing on this move by Sheriff Jordan seems to be just a little too coincidental to the dispatchers being laid off. I think what may be happening are the Dispatchers, Sheriff Jordan & Brian Wheat are rebelling against the County Supervisors for the cuts? That seems more like a plausible explanation for the cutting of the second law line.

Politics in the Sheriff’s Office once more, some things never change!

Furthermore, if Lemoore was paying in excess of $300,000 for dispatching services doesn’t that mean the loss of revenue also means a loss of 911 calls to dispatch? Was Lemoore then paying for all their own dispatch and secondary law line? "

Bobb wrote on Jul 5, 2009 11:57 AM:

" Just curious, if they are losing Lemoore and I have heard Hanford Fire Dept, does not that mean there will be less calls to handle? Why did Jordon not address the issues that Lemoore and Hanford PD and Fire had about the way dispatch was being operated. I have to agree with Fred on this. It seems to be scare tactics to go with the same dispatch without addressing the problems. Less area and calls to handle should be less personnel to handle them. I am open to a reason why with that much less of a work load they need all of the dispatchers they had before losing those contracts. "

disgusted1 wrote on Jul 5, 2009 4:10 PM:

" Public safety and officer safety are both VERY important, however, there is one glaring omission from this article. What about firefighter safety? Have the dispatchers stopped dispatching for fire? The county fire department seems to be the only entity not mentioned in this article that could be affected one way or another by the decrease in the number of dispatchers for the county. If Kings County Fire is so inconsequential, maybe they should move their dispatch services to another agency so the existing dispatchers won't be so overworked. "

manuel wrote on Jul 5, 2009 5:41 PM:

" Ronk6ur Employees driving city/county vehicles to other places other then their jobs, is called perks, keeps them happy, saves them having to pay for their own gas "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 5, 2009 6:33 PM:

" To: Bobb wrote on Jul 5, 2009 11:57 AM and
disgusted1 wrote on Jul 5, 2009 4:10 PM

It seems to me that a consensus is developing that the entire issue has been blown up to indicate that 911 calls may not be answered! Yet everyone feels that with fewer 911 calls from the Lemoore Police Department. Then fewer dispatchers should be needed? If the dispatchers that were laid off were doing more than answering and dispatching 911 calls from Lemoore. Then this information needs to be reported in this article. I quote Richard Valle, County Supervisor.
“County Supervisor Richard Valle says this is a move that could jeopardize public safety.”
I zeroed, in on one very important word, “could,” Truly he has visited the dispatch center and his best argument put forth is, could, not “would?” I find this another game of semantics within public office. A play on words, very important words, dispatchers have not been harmonious for some time now. A tug of war between Jordan and the County shouldn’t be the key to resolving this issue. "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 5, 2009 6:35 PM:

" To: Bobb wrote on Jul 5, 2009 11:57 AM and
disgusted1 wrote on Jul 5, 2009 4:10 PM (Continued)

The issue should be MANHOURS AND PEOPLE, not egoes, pride & control. "

disgusted1 wrote on Jul 5, 2009 10:31 PM:

" Watchdog Fred, you are absolutely right! It does come down to manhours and people. If the dispatchers would do a time study to determine how the workload has increased/decreased with the absence of Lemoore Fire and PD maybe the county could justify keeping the positions that were laid off (which weren't really laid off, just absorbed into other positions). Maybe they could install a webcam at dispatch so the public can see just how busy they are at any given time of day or night. I had a supervisor once tell me "don't come to me with a problem, unless you also come with an idea for a solution". I hear lots of whining, but no suggested solutions. The Sheriff has a "my way, or the highway" attitude, and look how that's working out for him and his dispatch center. Ego, power, pride and control...these will be the downfall of Sheriff Jordan's administration. This dispatch center problem is only the tip of the iceberg, standby citizens. "

Reality Check wrote on Jul 6, 2009 9:50 AM:

" WOW. Some people are just plain ignorant of what is going on and I don't need to mention your names, all one has to do is read your posts.

Yes, the City of Lemoore went to HPD for 911. Yes the county cut back 4 positions. ALL of our dedicated 911 operators work 12 hour shifts and numerous overtime shifts. Our call center is almost to a point that there will be no one available to cover if another dispatcher falls sick. This is a high stress job that's why so many regular folks fail at being a dispatcher. Try to handle two, or three, or more emergencies simultaneously. People don't call the dispatch center to share good news either. Cuts like these can take a toll on our county and the lifes of our residents. The dispatcher are the eyes and ears of the county and the local PD's that they service. So for those of you who are being stupid and don't really have a clue of what's going on (and you haven't done this job before) all I can say it SHUT UP. "

flamemail wrote on Jul 6, 2009 11:06 AM:

" Well, I'm sure anyone with a question or concern can get in touch with the Sheriff when he returns from his three week vacation. Perfect time to take one - right in the middle of this mess. "

disgusted1 wrote on Jul 6, 2009 3:04 PM:

" Reality check.....Have you bothered to present a solution to the problem? All you can say is "SHUT UP". What a great representative you are for the county and your dispatch center. "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 6, 2009 3:57 PM:

" Reality Check wrote on Jul 6, 2009 9:50 AM:

It’s not very nice to tell people to shut up, when you haven’t thrown your own credentials out on the table, all we can assume is you must be one of the disgruntled dispatchers. If your comments elude, to your attitude no wonder there is a problem in paradise.

“The Sheriff's Office says they will only be able to operate the "secondary law channel" on a temporary basis, meaning the Sheriff's Office, Probation Department, Animal Control, District Attorney's Office, Human Services and the Ag Commissioner will all have to share the primary line.”

Every time I call the county I get an option to select the department I want, so why can’t you call Probation Department, Animal Control, District Attorney’s Office, Human Services and the Ag Commissioner through their assigned telephone lines? That would free-up the 911 operators to dispatch actual Sheriff’s Deputies to whatever your emergency might be. Certainly, a District Attorney is not going to respond to a shots fired call? Human Services could respond to a domestic dispute I guess. The Ag Commissioner? "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 6, 2009 4:09 PM:

" Reality Check wrote on Jul 6, 2009 9:50 AM:

From the Departments named by the Sheriff and Assistant Sheriff it seems they are clutching straws, straws with holes on both ends.

They are trying to transform non emergency agencies into emergency one’s. The fact that these agencies may need to be called out, doesn’t mean they have to be part of the first responders in every issue affecting 911 calls.

The more relevant condition that I think no one has addressed is how, does the county, all the city police departments communicate during an actual national disaster?

If everyone has their own separate communication device then communication is lost in the air waves somewhere, when we might need fire, ambulance or police help.

That to me is of greater concern than dispatch being overworked. After all isn’t this area known as the Earthquake state and isn’t that the San Andreas Fault just west of us?

But you all just keep bickering amongst yourselves and don’t worry about the really important stuff like Coalinga, went through back a decade and a half or so ago. "

Alihandero wrote on Jul 6, 2009 4:26 PM:

" Wow!

disgusted1 correctly said:

"Ego, power, pride and control...these will be the downfall of Sheriff Jordan's administration."

The elected Sheriff was good in his previous job and is a very nice man, but elections are simply popularity contests and that, friends, is no way to pick the best man (or woman) for this important job.

We are talking about a job that preserves public safety and people's lives: that should be county job #1!

A strong and appropriately educated person - with county law enforcement background - needed to be put in place.

What we got, well, we all will be the judge of that next election cycle.

I hope it won't be too late. "

Bobb wrote on Jul 6, 2009 4:46 PM:

" WOW; just asked some questions and Reality Check comes unglued. Maybe Fred is right, ego's pride and control. As Disgusted1 said, this is not a very good representation of the people who work there I hope. I was just curious to the amount of calls they will be losing due to other agencies leaving for a different dispatch. I guess I must have "ruffled some feathers". "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 6, 2009 10:02 PM:

" Human Resources just figures if a position was created in the past that the need still continues regardless of changes. Things like loss of contracts, loss of activity and change in work-load aren’t applicable in determining continuance of the position.

When I operated in business you first had to determine the need for the body, before you got the body. You had to account for each and every hour of work, before it was worked, not after it had been paid.

I would think that government is much like a business in order to be effective, managed and successful, it would first begin with accountability. Followed by a set of checks and balances to show services rendered broken down by cost. "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 6, 2009 10:03 PM:

" I knew one employer who was so in tune, he could show you profit per minute at any, delivery location. I am not saying we have to be that paranoid about time being wasted but we certainly need an improvement over our current situation.

Someone suggested cameras in the Dispatch Office, you don’t even need to notify anyone they are there. As long as you do video without audio, you’re legal. A Mini-Mart operator controls his inventory, customer count and makes business decisions based upon that same practice.

I’ve heard stories of knitting and other hobbies being performed during work hours, people should be working at their jobs not their hobbies. Cameras could be purchased at Harbor Freight for little of nothing to resolve many of these issues. "

The Oracle wrote on Jul 7, 2009 1:16 PM:

" Dispatching IS a thankless job. But lets be real...You take information and pass it along to those who need it, in both directions. Agencies left the county due to their needs not being met, pure and simple. Dispatch is a "service" if you will. When you are paying a lot of money and not getting what you think you deserve and/or are paying for, you look to other options. Same reasons that Corcoran and Lemoore now will team with Hanford PD in a regional SWAT unit and do not depend on the Sheriffs office for tactical response. They could not be depended on, due to the whole team resigning on MULTIPLE occasions. Its all about leadership or lack thereof. Back on point, dispatchers do a thankless and demanding job. They just had poor, poor leadership for a looong time, then they got a new supervisor, but got a poor Sheriff with no leadership skills, save being a great politician. Facts are facts........At least they can keep their jobs by going to the records division. "

transplant wrote on Jul 7, 2009 2:40 PM:

" Fred,

We don't have a Harbor Freight in Hanford - or Kings County for that matter. You are surely not suggesting that we go out of town for those little cameras are you? Wouldn't that contradict what you've posted on another thread? You berated the Council for using out of town vendors, when you don't even know if there's anyone local that applied. Yet you didn't hesitate to recommend an out of County business when it suits YOU. "

R4Revolt wrote on Jul 7, 2009 4:31 PM:

" Cut public safety last. There are other departments that can do without and not affect the public's safety. Sorry, some parks may have to be attended to less. No one will die because of it. Both Hanford and Kings Co. are putting people at greater risk. They are cutting their public safety departments that are already understaffed. Ensure your public is safe first and then you can have all of the extra "fluff". Because fires burn and people get hurt, killed, and victimized when the economy is good or bad. Some departments can "really" do without; public safety cannot. "

Alihandero wrote on Jul 8, 2009 5:30 AM:

" Hey "transplant,"

I really believe Watchdog meant Harbor Freight has a huge inventory all for very low comparative cost. What also saves money is it's Internet ordering dept., with shipping for $6.99 to a max of $11.99 delivered to the county or city's doorstep.

Of course, if the businesses to be used within the city or county are given equal chances to lowest delivered cost bid, I seriously doubt that one of the big box stores: Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Pep Boys, etc. would NOT win with low prices and free delivery and setup.

But there might now exist open P.O.'s already in place locally in these businesses or with establishments that supply unique items like, oh, say, trophies and awards? Anyone know about these?

Maybe Internet ordering is the way to go for that too, if the purpose is to save money at all costs? "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 8, 2009 12:24 PM:

" To: transplant wrote on Jul 7, 2009 2:40 PM:

Once again you fail to use common sense and prefer to jump on me for what you figure is an error on my part.

You stated yourself that Hanford or Kings County does not have a Harbor Freight. But as Alihandero pointed out they have a magnificent online catalogue and ordering service.

You can only offer competition if you have a competitive price point to begin with from local merchants.

I've seen these camera's advertised for less than $10, don't think anyone in town offers that same technology at the same price.

The point I was trying to make is all this bickering could be satisfied with the installation of these cameras, maybe a $20 purchase price.

Of course the Dispatchers are going to be busy and overloaded with 911 calls when the County Supervisor Richard Valley visits.

But what about Tuesday at 3:30 a..m.? How many dispatchers are on and how busy are they?

How much reshuffling and reorganizing might be done?
(Continued)
. "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 8, 2009 12:26 PM:

" To: transplant wrote on Jul 7, 2009 2:40 PM:

(Continued)
"I’ve heard stories of knitting and other hobbies being performed during work hours. People should be working and not on their hobbies.

Cameras could be purchased at Harbor Freight for little of nothing to resolve many of these issues. Tapes could be made of all shifts and reviewed by a supervisor at a later date.

This is nothing unusual and could work as evidence should something happen, most calls are recorded anyway, why not have a picture to go along with the action of the 911 operators.

Facial expressions can go a long way to explain verbal language and attitudes.

Now your other topic, if the items are not available locally then of course they cannot be purchased locally.

I said they should be competitive in nature, a merchant locally can’t sell a camera that cost them $200 to be competitive with a vendor who is offering the same technology for $20.

You don’t need a high definition camera with all the bells and whistles in this case. "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 8, 2009 7:39 PM:

" To: Alihandero wrote on Jul 8, 2009 5:30 AM:

I can't believe you got away with that commercial for Harbor Freight! LOL "

Bobb wrote on Jul 9, 2009 10:29 AM:

" Harbor Freight, I love that place. Yes, cheap tools but for someone who only uses a 1" hammer drill a few times a year it is a great buy for $59 including cement bits. I can spend hours there if I remember to leave the wife home. She puts me on a budget and time limit--not her favorite place. "

transplant wrote on Jul 9, 2009 1:49 PM:

" Fred (and Alihandero), I don't disagree with you about the cameras being cheaper at Harbor Freight. I was pointing out that you are inconsistent with your complaints. You DID bash Council because they hired out of town vendors. Then turn around and advocate going out of town because it's cheaper. Not exactly consistent. Common sense says you go with the lowest price, unless a local vendor is close to the lowest. But that's a different thread... "

Alihandero wrote on Jul 9, 2009 3:52 PM:

" A request please, "transplant."

When lumping together those who write opinions here please be accurate and use direct quotes and not incorrect generalizations.

One doesn't 'bash' something or someone merely by putting forth facts and by posing questions.

In this economy, Internet ordering and direct market vending could very well be the answer to buying at the lowest delivered price - if that is the purpose.

If - and this is the point we ALL can debate - it is determined that everything local government needs in terms of materiels and services be ordered from businesses within Hanford/Kings County as a reward for being local taxpayers, so be it.

'Bash' not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country, " transplant." "

Alihandero wrote on Jul 9, 2009 3:59 PM:

" And thanks for reminding us about sticking to the current topic, "transplant,"

You failed to write anthing directly on this topic : "Dispatcher layoffs raise safety concerns" so I was wondering what you think of the situation? "

Watchdog Fred wrote on Jul 9, 2009 6:18 PM:

" To: transplant wrote on Jul 9, 2009 1:49 PM:

Get it right, Alihandero doesn't bash the City Council, nor has he ever made the attempt.

I on the otherhand try not to miss any given opportunity to point out that our leaders are not leaders at all.

They are usually a group of sheep led around on a leash by people who prefer to be unnamed.

People in the backdrop who may not be on the hotseat at any given time. But provide excuses for actions like he/she were on the hot seat.

If you don't see this through their own actions, then you truly must be a transplanted citizen. "

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