You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief at the Jan. 7 public safety committee meeting when members were told the Shawano County Dispatch Center was near full employment.
Kasey Cross, communications supervisor, said two vacancies remain in the department, but there are two candidates in the final stages of pre-employment screening. If all goes well, the department will be at full staff for the first time in many months.
A new communications coordinator position was filled, and each shift now has a lead position in place.
At one point in early 2025, six of the department’s then 16 positions were empty.
Pay increases and promotion opportunities within the dispatch center contributed to the current state of near full employment, Cross said.
Cross also noted the total number of 911 calls into the dispatch center in 2025 totaled 11,236, a decrease of 1.4% from the 11,284 received in 2024.
Administrative incoming and outgoing calls also decreased in 2025.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
