Mayor addresses dispatcher issue
By LARRY SHIELDS
Salem News staff writer
Rather than contract out safety forces dispatching, Mayor Jerry Wolford said Thursday he would like to hire more dispatchers.
At Tuesday's city council meeting, dispatcher Tina Cutright asked about "rumors" the city was looking to having the dispatching contracted out to another agency.
She was referred to Wolford by council President Tod Mumpire.
Columbiana County Sheriff Dave Smith said he met with Salem officials three or four weeks ago about dispatching for the city, but he would have to hire more personnel if his department did it.
Smith's issue was he would have to "put on more men," Wolford said, adding there was also an issue with the dispatcher's union in the sheriff's department.
Wolford said they also spoke with the city of Columbiana in the spring, but officials there "didn't show interest" in doing it.
Salem budgeted $135,000 for its six part-time dispatchers this year.
There were two issues that led to looking into dispatching options, he said, including having officers come in off the beat to cover when a dispatcher is absent, and contractual issues if layoffs were necessary.
If the city needed to lay off people, part-time employees, which also includes housing inspectors and lifeguards, would be the first to be laid off.
"We thought it might be worth looking into (just) in case," Wolford said, adding they wanted to keep "policemen on the beat" with a minimum of three on the street.
He said the city "may have to look at more dispatchers...it's possible to see that increase."
He also noted the countywide 911 system, in which Salem is one five Public Service Answering Point (PSAP), will become operational soon.
"It's imperative to get ready for that and train more and get ready," he said.
But regarding the option of contracting out dispatching, Wolford said, "I don't think it will be an issue anyway..."
He said they felt good about the rationale to look into it and hoped layoff s never happen.
"We like to be proactive, I have no intention of laying off dispatchers. I wanted something so we'd have some idea of where to go, a Plan B, an option."
There is an overtime issue with one police officer on medical leave, and if that and other expenses came to "more than a lot of belt-tightening" they wanted to make sure the dispatching was done and "we don't have to bring in officers off the street," Wolford said.
"There is a big enough complement of dispatchers," he said, "I have no problem with hiring more."
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
