City of Decorah may add another full-time dispatcher

It takes a lot of skill and training to become a police dispatcher. 

The job can be stressful, since dispatchers often are the first point of contact for people who are in desperate need of help.  Dispatchers have to remain calm no matter how bad the situation sounds on the other end of the phone, so they can make sure the callers get the emergency services they need.

As a result, people trained in dispatching are in demand.  Decorah Police have been trying to hire two part-time dispatchers recently.  They hired one person--but that person quickly stepped up to a full-time position when the full-time employee left.  Now there are again two part-time positions.

The City of Decorah's Personnel Committee has endorsed a plan to hire one full-time dispatcher instead of two part-time dispatchers, believing the move will enable police to hire a more qualified candidate.  The additional cost will be minimal--around $2,300 a year.

The Decorah City Council will vote on the proposal next Monday.