Emergency dispatch is close to fully staffed
By Terry Murry on Thursday, June 10th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Umatilla County Emergency Dispatch is easing out of its staffing crisis. Deena Josue will graduate from the three-week course offered by the state in basic telecommunications on Friday. Sheriff Terry Rowan said that graduation from the academy is an important first step.
“It takes four to six months to take a new hire from hiring to being able to be that single asset and resource,” he said.
During the three-week course in Salem, Josue has been trained in call-handling techniques, stress management, civil liability, ethics, criminal law, and a number of other topics. When she returns to Umatilla County she will be assigned a field training officer.
He’s pleased with the caliber of the new hires that are helping solve the dispatch center’s staff shortage.
“We’ve been fortunate to hire some very intelligent, bright young people that have been going through their training processes very quickly and really getting up to speed,” he said.
