911 Center Staffing and Phone-line Savings
Summary
Eight of 18 candidate interviews for the understaffed 911 center are complete, with high-quality candidates showing up. The county is still evaluating whether an outside agency (Motivation) could help, and open-door outreach to 911 advocates continues.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 13
- Last 30 days
- 3
Rising — discussed at 5 meetings since Sep 17, 2026, up from 2 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
The changes add $1/hour differential and a 40-cent raise for telecommunicators.
Residents and 911 callers benefit from faster staffing and improved dispatch services.
Overnight dispatchers continue without the proposed differential while the item is tabled.
Mentions & discussions (13)
Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting — 2026-11-12
Salary Board actions would trim two prison maintenance positions from 80 to 75 hours per pay period and reclassify an emergency management planning role, while the county processes new conditional job offers including a new Domestic Relations officer.
Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting — 2026-11-05
The board approved two new telecommunicator trainees and filled a long-vacant training coordinator position — steps toward rebuilding the 911 center.
Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting — 2026-10-29
Budget requests started roughly $15 million above projected revenue; after trimming, about $5 million in cuts still needs to be found.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-10-01
Empty 911 dispatch seats are costing the county about $15,000 a month in overtime and contract staffing. The new pilot brings in regional police officers — already familiar with radio protocols — at roughly half that cost, paid entirely from 911 funds rather than the general budget. It gets a 60-day trial before expanding.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-09-17
Three part-time trainee telecommunicator positions and one part-time Telecommunicator II were added for the county's 911 center, plus a new full-time trainee hire — a step toward keeping emergency call-taking staffed.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-08-20
The county is spending $185,000 in 911 fees on two temporary dispatchers while hiring permanent staff. Director Rothchild pushed back on social media claims that dispatchers are leaving, noting a returning former dispatcher and new trainees.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-07-23
Eight of 18 candidate interviews for the understaffed 911 center are complete, with high-quality candidates showing up. The county is still evaluating whether an outside agency (Motivation) could help, and open-door outreach to 911 advocates continues.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-07-02
The 911 center went from a skeleton crew to 20 candidates in two weeks. Rothchild asked commissioners to keep hiring while a permanent training coordinator is found, and corrected a viral post confusing Lycoming with Franklin County's vendor contract.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-06-25
The overnight shift differential was fixed so second-shift telecommunicators get a true $1/hour differential on 12-hour shifts, and a 40-cent raise keeps first shift whole. Bonus rumors were also cleared up.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-06-11
Commissioners spent hours listening to live dispatch calls and praised the dispatchers, but tabled the $1.50 night-shift differential to avoid payroll problems. The board says it's committed to fixing the 911 center.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-06-04
The staffing shortage in the public safety call center dates back to 2012. Commissioners visited dispatchers on two evenings, and Director Rothchild says full staffing could take up to 17 months.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-05-28
The county's 911 center is running with 7 of 18 authorized dispatcher positions filled, and new hires need 6 to 12 months of training before they're fully capable. Storm season is here, and former dispatchers warn that unanswered 911 calls during severe weather could become a public safety disaster. Commissioners are recruiting on multiple fronts, considering traveling dispatchers, and will research legally reviving a program that let candidates observe a shift before committing.
Board of Commissioners Video — 2026-05-21
A retired 911 deputy director says the county is shorting dispatchers on promised bonuses, botched the pay-grade restructure, and refused to let a veteran dispatcher stay part-time — all while the center runs on mandatory overtime. Commissioners defended the new leadership but promised to research some claims.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.