911 director reports on the state of the department at February meeting

County 911 Director James Falls reported on the state of his department to the 911 Advisory Board Tuesday evening, addressing the steps he has taken to establish the department thus far as well as his ongoing priorities. Falls named four priorities for its department to address in the short term: a standardization of standard operating procedures for dispatchers and dispatch responders, hiring quality dispatchers, technology comprehension, and establishing a culture of crisis management at the center. The board had also planned to review its recommended training program for Falls as well as the combined dispatch agreement, but board chair Jerry Harrison (Lebanon Police Chief) rescheduled this due to leaving print copies at the office. In his report on the state of the department, Falls reported that the emergency communications center had seven out of twelve dispatcher positions staffed. Three out of four supervisors have been hired, and on average, three dedicated workstations are operated during day and night shifts. For more on this story, see Saturday's LCR.