Oconto County will hire two part-time employees for its 911 call center to relieve the stress and overwork experienced by its nine full-time staff members and reduce overtime costs.
“I need more pool to pick from in order to fill shifts,” Sheriff Mike Jansen told the County Board on Thursday. The board responded by an unanimous approval of the part-time workers; two supervisors were absent.
The annual cost for the two part-time positions is approximately $60,127, which includes basic fringe benefits. The employees will be limited to 29 hours per week, at a wage of $17.05 an hour. The employees may soon transition into full-time work, because one employee is scheduled to retire in July and two other full-time employees are considering retirement.
Overtime costs are expected to fall, once the part-time employees are on board. Dispatchers in 2014 racked up about $80,000 in overtime and worked 4,030 extra hours.
“It’s catching up to them. They’re getting burnt out,” Jansen said.
The 911 dispatch staff at the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department includes nine full-time employees who work 12-hours shifts and one part-time employee. Two dispatchers are assigned to the telecommunications center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“They do an excellent job,” said Supervisor Bill Grady, who serves on the Oconto Falls Fire Department. “When they have a bad accident, or this or that, they have their hands full, so you definitely need two people in there at all times.”
