Newly hired Oxford County Administrator Zane Loper, left, addresses about a dozen first responders from across Oxford County during the Sept. 5 county commissioners’ workshop at the commission office in Paris. The first responders raised  concerns over staffing shortages and dispatch delays at the Oxford County Regional Communications Center in Paris. Evan W. Houk/Advertiser Democrat

PARIS — About a dozen first responders from across the county attended the Oxford County commissioners’ workshop Thursday, Sept. 5 to express concerns over an ongoing staffing shortage at Oxford County Regional Communications Center.

Sweden Deputy Fire Chief and Oxford County Communication Advisory Board Chairperson Tommie McKenzie said that first responders wish to address the staffing shortage, the function of the advisory board, and how they can work with the dispatch center and the county to make things run better.

“We represent law enforcement, fire, and EMS today,” he said.

People at the meeting volunteered to help in any way they can — by updating records or by offering police and fire department members to fill-in part-time at the communications center.

Oxford Fire Chief Ashley Wax-Armstrong said she has members of her department who have worked in dispatch who could fill in.

“I truly believe with offering any complaint, you should offer a solution,” Wax-Armstrong said.

Roxbury Assistant Fire Chief Eric Giroux noted that since July 26, first responders have been aware of only two people on staff at the communications center every day.

“You can tell the difference,” Giroux said when the dispatchers are overworked. “We have one of the best dispatching crews around.”

Giroux said there was a car fire in Roxbury on Aug. 12 that he did not receive a call until 14 minutes later.

“Luckily my captain was five minutes away on the pond,” he said. “That’s unacceptable to wait 14 minutes for a call.”

Communications Director Geffrey Inman said the policy of dispatch is to have at least three people on duty at all times, but sometimes that is not possible.

“If I don’t have three, I can’t put three in,” Inman said. “You can’t force what you don’t have.”

Newly hired County Administrator Zane Loper stressed that dispatch has been a priority everyday for the county. The county has recently hired three new dispatchers and is training three, who will be ready to work in October. The part-time rate for dispatchers has been temporarily raised to $33 per hour to attract new hires, he said.

“I’m out there in the community everyday trying to recruit people to come work at our dispatch center,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of applicants.”

Wax-Armstrong suggested that department heads only should be notified if there are only two dispatchers working at one time.

“It does cause a lot of issues on the floor level,” she said.

Dixfield Fire Chief Scott Dennett suggested that dispatch does not need to hear a tone every time a truck goes out of service at a department, calling it “unnecessary communication.”

“We all have the same issue,” Dennett said. “It is a public safety issue.”

The county is working on a tower upgrade which will improve dispatch quality and allow for calls to be transferred to Cumberland County if Oxford County Regional Communications cannot pick up, according to Loper. Currently that is not possible, he said.

“Our focus is to have a lot better coverage in the Rumford, Dixfield, Mexico area with this tower upgrade,” Loper said.

Tommie McKenzie, left, deputy fire chief for Sweden and chairperson of the Oxford County Communication Advisory Board, addresses Oxford County commissioners Sept. 5 at their office in Paris concerning dispatch delays and staffing shortages at the Oxford County Regional Communications Center in Paris. Commissioners, from left, are Timothy Turner of Buckfield, Chairperson David Duguay of Byron and Steven Merrill of Norway. Evan W. Houk/Advertiser Democrat

McKenzie suggested looking for ways to streamline the training process, which takes about 20 weeks to get a dispatcher prepared for the job. He acknowledged that most of that is due to state regulations, however. 

McKenzie also suggested that the Oxford County Communications Advisory Board become more of a governing board so that it has some authority over the Regional Communications Center.

“If we all could work together, I think we can solve this issue and come up with good solutions,” he said.

Loper mentioned his background in public service, working in law enforcement his entire career, including for the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

“I spent a lot of time out there in your shoes and it is a focus of mine,” Loper said of public safety.

The commissioners will next meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 17. The Oxford County Communications Advisory Board will next meet at noon Nov. 4.