dispatch firegeezer on 14 Jul 2008 08:02 am
New Mexico Dispatchers Given Short Shrift
THE VALENCIA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO, EMERGENCY DISPATCH CENTER has been shunted to the end of the line so often that the dispatchers there are reaching the breaking point.
Not only have they long outgrown the alloted space that they work in, but the always-increasing workload has become larger than the existing squad can handle effectively. The cramped quarters are so burdened that they are using the bathroom as a storage area. With the higher volume of activity, the clerks are getting stressed and showing signs of fatigue and using sick leave more frequently. On the average, they are working 60 hours a week.
The County refuses to budget the funds for expansion and personnel growth because they claim that the money is not there unless they raise taxes (heard that before?).
There is a proposal now that will be on the November ballot to increase the business gross receipts tax by .25%. They expect that to increase revenues by $2 million a year that will be dedicated to the dispatch center. (We’ve heard that before, too.)
KOB-TV Ch. 4, Albuquerque, ran this video report:
