FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — Franklin County is bringing in third-party dispatchers to help staff its 911 communications center amid a shortage of emergency dispatch personnel.
The Record Herald reported county commissioners approved an approximately $163,000 contract with the Colorado-based company Moetivations Inc. to provide qualified dispatchers to the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services, according to the June 18 meeting agenda.
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County officials said the outside personnel are providing temporary support while the county works to recruit and train new dispatchers. Officials are also considering using the same company to help address correctional officer staffing shortages at the county jail.
Four temporary dispatchers will work at Franklin County’s 911 center for up to 50 hours per week to help the agency manage a staffing shortage, Assistant County Administrator John Thierwechter told commissioners June 18.
Thierwechter said the county continues to hire and train dispatchers, but the agency has struggled to catch up after several staff departures.
“Just to clarify for the record that though the 911 telecommunicators are doing a great job and they are hanging in there,” Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst said. “It just seems like right now it’s a little tough to get people trained and to stay, so it’s something that we’ve been dealing with and going forward, we found this is an option just to give some relief to the floor.”
The 911 center has 34 budgeted dispatcher positions, including eight part-time jobs. In 2025, it handled 137,555 calls and processed 84,099 police, fire and EMS incidents.
The contract increased from $134,339.86 after a fiscal review found additional logistics costs. County staff are also considering Moetivations for temporary correctional officer support at the Franklin County Jail.
