03/24/1988 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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CIVIL SERVICE MEETING - 3/24/88 Page #4 standpoint it would be worth a try because we don't have -to test twice and don't have t,o send all that stuff back and forth twice and it's easy for us then to do those types of things. That also goes along with (pause to greet Chief Van Kuren) I don't know is the dispatcher thing in, out - where is it? Is it still in in terms of your budgetary control now, or do you need one or don't you? Marsh: Oh well, we need a test we don't have an opening for a full time dispatcher at the present time, but the problem is if you don't have a.test, and tomorrow one of them leaves then we're looking at 6 months until that position is filled and it creates a tremendous problem, so my request is certainly be that we have a standing list if at all possible for that position. And that adds a new wrinkle to it in that the shifts are different than the one we talked about before. Wendt: Now how does that effect your operation, is a dispatcher in your department - are you running the 911 through both of your departments, or this dispatcher would be - would they be using the 911 base. Marsh: Yes, we are the primary receiving..Wendt: You are the primary receiving. harsh: Yes, and then we transfer it if it's a call for the fire department we run the transfer and then his people take it, and we're off of it. Wendt: But then you have a need for a dispatcher. Chief Van Kuren: At present fire personnel, we've made suggestions to replace him but that's not accepted in our budget at this time. Wendt: O.K. but if, and when, so, is the dispatcher that you would use the same kind of dispatcher he would use, similar in nature? Van Kuren: I don't know if they would be the same they would be trained differently. Wendt: Well, O.K. I'm not worried about the training, I'm only worried about the test. Madeline: And that would be your problem. Marsh: Because again we don't have a specific requirement, it would be nice if they had computer experience, etc. but, we're not listing that as as you have to have prior experience. Wendt: So the basic is that we could still give a test that would still fulfill the needs of bothof you but then you train your own people. Marsh: I would think so. Madeline: And the qualifications for a dispatcher are quite different than clerk? You couldn't pull then dispatchers from the clerk list. Marsh: I don't know again unless you had an advertisement thing because it's a completely different function: Madeline: O.K. Marsh: But I think that if some person would be interested in clerical work would not at all be interrested in dispatching. Madeline: O.K. but you think we could save time and costs by combining the two departmnents - but you don't have an approved position right now - you have a need but not the approval. You don't have an opening right now but you need a list. Wendt: In case something happens yes. Marsh: Not to go into it in any detail but we do use part time dispatchers to fill in and presently we have two of our former full time dispatchers working at capacity we would like to add a couple and we probably have to hire those and train them for a part time position and we thought if we had a list we thought even though we don't have a full time opening.some of those people might