Short-staffed Penobscot County 911 center is rerouting calls

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff

Staffing shortages are plaguing two essential public safety departments in Penobscot County.

Ten of the 31 emergency communications specialist positions are open at the Penobscot Regional Communications Center, though the center was down 15 people at the staffing shortage’s peak, Director Christopher Lavoie said.

Those openings coincide with six full-time patrol deputy positions needing to be filled at the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, marking the worst staffing shortage the department has ever experienced, Sheriff Troy Morton said. 

Penobscot County is not alone with its struggle to fill these essential public safety positions. Agencies across Maine and the country are trying to fill positions with fewer applicants. Only six of 22 communication centers in Maine were fully staffed, according to a February 2024 survey by the state. Eight centers had staffing shortages of 42 to 57 percent. 

A series of deputies retiring, leaving for other agencies or assisting towns with additional coverage led to the six open positions at the sheriff’s office, Morton said. The open positions do not include people at the police academy or deputies out on military or family leave. 

There are two people attending the police academy, Morton said during a Penobscot County Commission meeting on Sept. 17. Commissioners approved the hiring of a police dog handler for the sheriff’s department during the meeting.  

At the communications center, minimum staffing calls for six people but most days it only has five dispatchers available. If dispatchers are busy on other 911 calls, callers are routed to the Bangor Department of Public Safety, Lavoie said.

Commissioners approved paying dispatchers double overtime for an eight-week term to help fill open positions on the schedule, Lavoie said. People interested in working for the center can observe the dispatchers to see if it’ll be a good career fit, he said. 

The center worked with Eastern Maine Community College to create a 40-hour certification course. Job applications are available on the center’s website.

The dispatcher role is vital for the safety of the public and first responders, Lavoie said. Employees have given directions for CPR and instructed people on safely delivering a baby. 

“This is a very rewarding career where you can truly make a difference in someone’s life,” Lavoie said. “It’s a career where you are doing something different every day you come to work, providing a dynamic and exciting work environment.”