Madison County Council approves pay raise for 911 emergency dispatchers
Madison County’s 911 dispatch office is currently sitting at crisis level staffing, with 16 openings. As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, the county is hoping a 30 percent raise will help fill those necessary jobs.
Madison County’s current hourly pay rate for 911 dispatch sits at $19.24. Compared to surrounding counties, that’s $4-5 less.
Jenny Chambers is Executive Director for Madison County Central Dispatch. She says a raise to $25 an hour will help the department hold onto staff being courted by other counties and, hopefully, attract new employees.
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“Our employees, they put long hours in, they are always there to answer the phones. They have to listen to the most horrific things that no one could ever imagine. And this starting rate will make, show them that we appreciate their service.”
The previously approved pay increase for 2025 was only 9 percent, which would have brought the pay to $20.97.
Chambers reports Madison County Central Dispatch last year received 200,000 calls. Seventy-four thousand of those calls were for for emergency services.
The proposal for the pay increase was unanimously approved by the Madison County Council.
The funds for the new raise will be transferred from the $400,000 public safety fund.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu.
