Penobscot County’s two most important public safety offices are having trouble finding enough staff.
At the Penobscot Regional Communications Center, 10 of the 31 emergency communications expert jobs are still open. However, the center was short 15 people at its worst, according to Director Christopher Lavoie.
Six full-time patrol deputy jobs need to be filled at the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office at the same time. This is the worst staffing shortage the department has ever had, according to Sheriff Troy Morton.
Penobscot County isn’t the only one having trouble filling these important public safety jobs. Agencies all over Maine and the country are trying to fill open jobs even though there aren’t many applicants.
The state of Maine did a survey in February 2024 and found that only six of the 22 communication offices it had were fully staffed. Eight centers were 42 to 57 percent short on staff.
Morton said that the six open roles at the sheriff’s office were caused by deputies retiring, leaving for other jobs, or helping towns with extra coverage. The open jobs don’t include deputies or people who are in the police school or on military or family leave.
Morton said at a Penobscot County Commission meeting on Tuesday that two people are going to the police school. During the meeting, commissioners agreed to hire a police dog trainer for the sheriff’s office.
Most days, only five dispatchers are available at the operations center, even though it needs at least six people to be staffed. Lavoie said that 911 calls are sent to the Bangor Department of Public Safety if the dispatchers are busy with other calls.
Lavoie said that commissioners agreed to pay dispatchers double overtime for eight weeks to help fill open jobs on the schedule. He said that people who want to work for the center can watch the dispatchers to see if it’s a good fit for them.
Eastern Maine Community College and the center worked together to make a 40-hour course that leads to licensing. On the center’s website, you can find job forms.
Lavoie said the job of the dispatcher is very important for the safety of the people and first responders. People have been taught how to do CPR and how to safely give birth by employees.
“This is a great job where you can really make a difference in someone’s life,” Lavoie said. “Every day you come to work, you do something different, which makes for a dynamic and exciting work environment.”