Missouri dispatchers now recognized as first responders

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Missouri dispatchers can now qualify as first responders.

They were previously classified as clerical workers.

Experts hope this will attract more candidates to the job.

Just a couple of months ago, our investigative team uncovered that in Kansas City, 9-1-1 calls reached the longest wait time in years.

If you’re in crisis, the average call wait time last month was 40 seconds, which is double the time standard in the industry.

A lot of this is due to a dispatcher shortage being felt in departments nationwide and right here at home.

We talked with Tom Gebken, the president of a local union that represents 9-1-1 dispatchers in Blue Springs, Jackson County and Independence.

He says in Independence, a fully staffed dispatch center would include 28 employees. Right now they have 10 and some of them are working 16-hour days.

A bill Governor Mike Parson signed into law in July now gives dispatchers access to mental health and care services and earlier retirement by defining them as first responders and allowing their jurisdictions to do the same.

Gebken says this move has been a long time coming.

“That takes a toll on their body and sometimes their mind. With the first responder status, they’re able to get the mental health assistance all other first responders have been getting for a long time and that’s very helpful,” says Gebken.

Gebken says Jackson County and Independence have already adopted this change. He expects Blue Springs to make the move later this month.

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