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Ingham County’s 911 Central Dispatch center continues to grapple with staffing vacancies, excessive overtime and burnout among employees.
In September, the County Sheriff’s Office took over center on an interim basis after the resignation of the facility’s last director.
Chief Deputy of the Sheriff’s Office Darin Southworth says with more than three decades in law enforcement, he’s worked with dispatch a lot but never like this.
"The intricacy of their work is amazing. What these folks can do in such a short period of time that have a dramatic impact on citizens lives and the success of first responders," he said. "That has been super impressionable."
Southworth has been the interim director of the dispatch center for nearly two months. He’s called the situation a “staffing emergency,” and he says even with new employees, it’s still dire.
Of the 56 positions allocated by the county, 42 are filled.
And of those people on payroll, about a fourth are still being onboarded.
"We've hired some more people, but they're in training. They're not contributing on their own yet."
Earlier this year, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners considered a plan to contract a firm for six months for more than $500,000 to help with dispatch services. That measure was put on pause, but Southworth says it’s still on the table.
"They could end up being a very necessary and meaningful fit."
But he says, for now, the center plans to hire some temporary employees with more local roots that can get to work immediately which Southworth calls a more nimble approach.
"It's known people, many of whom have worked here before, or others that are working in other dispatch centers, are the ones that are most attractive to us to make the impact that we're looking to do in the short term."
Our community will not be underserved by Ingham County 911. They're going to deliver, and we owe it to them to deliver back and get them some much needed help.
Southworth says they’ll reevaluate later in the year if bringing in a temp agency is needed.
Also yet to be determined is if the Sheriff’s Office will take over managing the center permanently.
Southworth says that decision won’t happen any time soon.
Other changes that could come include utilizing artificial intelligence to handle some non-emergency calls. Several counties in Michigan like Saginaw and Grand Traverse counties already use AI chatbots to reduce the workload on dispatchers.
"That will take a pronounced argument and good facts and probably great references on where certain models exist elsewhere, and what difference they've made in other dispatch centers without taking jobs."
He says a year from now, he’d like to see the center as close to full staff as possible.
"I don't think it'd be realistic to say we're going to fill every opening," Southworth said. "If we are filled with every opening, there's going to be an abundance of people in training, still working through the hoops, but I think we can make a difference there."
Beyond filling openings, he wants to make the center a place where people want to work.
"We just want to ensure that we're providing a good, healthy work environment that they want to call home, be proud of and return to."
Southworth says despite the challenges, community members should know that people will get the help they need when they call 911.
"Our community will not be underserved by Ingham County 911," he said.
"They're going to deliver, and we owe it to them to deliver back and get them some much needed help."
Southworth says some of that temporary help could be coming as soon as this week, and he plans to deliver an update to the Board of Commissioners soon on the progress being made at the center.
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