Flathead County’s first foray into contracting temporary 911 dispatchers has been a mixed bag.  

The county entered a contract with Moetivations, a Colorado-based public safety support company, in May to hire four temporary 911 dispatchers for 50 hours a week from June through August, with two working nights and two on the day shift. The dispatchers were recruited from outside of Montana and two of them made great additions to the team, said Flathead County Emergency Communications Center Director Austin Hicks.  

“If I could keep them, I would,” Hicks told county commissioners at their July 28 meeting. “Unfortunately, they do not like the cold weather, and so they’re not gonna stick around this winter.” 

The other two dispatchers, however, proved poor matches for the position, Hicks said. The company offered to replace them after they were sent back. One temporary dispatcher is undergoing training while the fourth temporary position remains vacant. 

Since the Emergency Communications Center had less than four temporary dispatchers over the summer, the contract period was extended beyond the three-month window to use up leftover hours, Hicks said. It's too soon to know the length of the extension, he added.  

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the county’s 911 dispatch center has struggled to retain employees. Summer is a busy time for emergency responders, as tourists flock to Northwest Montana to hike in Glacier National Park or party at Under the Big Sky, a music festival that draws thousands of fans to Whitefish.  

“We’ve seen an uptick all across the board on calls and incidents throughout the county,” Hicks said. 

Last summer, the emergency center received 35,328 calls, with 9,672 calls to 911 and 22,725 for non-emergencies. The remaining calls were made by emergency responders in the field.  

Hicks, who is in his first year as director of the Emergency Communications Center, pitched the idea to hire temporary dispatchers to commissioners in the spring. It would alleviate the strain on scheduling, he said, and allow adequate vacation time for permanent employees. 

There are about 15 or so permanent dispatchers at the Emergency Communications Center and two new hires are expected to come on board in September, Hicks said.  

But that still leaves seven positions open, a vacancy rate that has become the norm at the center. 

“Every time we start getting a leg up on things ... we lose someone,” Hicks said.  

The county may consider contracting additional 911 dispatchers in the future, he added, should the help be needed. His priority is to ramp up staffing at the communications center first. 

 “It is always good to have back-up plans for worst case scenarios, though,” he said. 

Report for America Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.