The Taos News
Alberto Castagna
How about being able to say that during their tenure they raised the pay of the people who in fact do the work? $10.85 for a starting dispatcher is shameful.
What do you take home after taxes? Enough to live on? I don't think so.
The dispatchers communicate with ambulance personnel, fire and police. They are trained people who understand the meaning of emergency.
They work all different shifts, they cover 24 hours a day. They have to be savvy about their turf, stay current on the latest gizmos and be calm cool and collected. I was truly embarrassed to read that after a year they make $11.73.
It feels like seeing somebody's dirty laundry. Come on guys! Sure, a modern dispatch center is nice, but if coupled with a stable, experienced workforce that is paid a wage that recognizes it's worth.
Ambulance, police, fire personnel, emergency dispatch, these are the true pillars of a community. Politicians?
I sure wouldn't call one of them if I had a heart attack.