Pitkin County is looking to share 911 dispatchers with the Town of Vail to deal with a shortage of workers.
Pitkin County Undersheriff Ron Ryan told county commissioners Wednesday the dispatch center is in “crisis mode.” 911 call centers typically experience difficulty in hiring, but for Aspen it’s especially tough because of its small staff. Just eight people are fully trained. That's about half of a full staff.
"When you have thirty or forty 911 dispatchers it’s a little easier to absorb the impacts and staffing shortages than it is when you have the number that we have," says Ryan.
Under the agreement, Aspen and Vail would share dispatchers during staffing crises. The commissioners gave initial support to the idea, but had concerns about the cost of travel time for dispatchers driving to and from the two communities.