MASON, Mich — The Ingham County 911 Center may soon become a permanent part of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
- Sheriff wants 911 center to join his office permanently.
- Center had only 27 operators for 56 positions, recently hired 9 temporary workers.
- Neighbors in Mason think this is a great idea.
Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth announced Thursday morning his recommendation to make the 911 center a permanent division of his office, pending approval from the county board of commissioners.
WATCH BELOW: Ingham County Sheriff recommends 911 center become permanent part of his office
"Today, pending the board of commissioners approval, I am formally announcing my recommendation to have the 911 center become a permanent part of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office," Wriggelsworth said.
The move comes after months of staffing shortages at the center. In October, the facility had only 27 trained operators for a center designed to handle 56 positions, according to Chief Deputy Darin Southworth, who serves as interim director of the Ingham County 911 Center.
Some dispatchers were working 16-hour shifts to maintain operations.
"The dedicated public servants, the first first responders, I like to call them, have and are working tirelessly to serve the public," Wriggelsworth said.
Since October, the center has made some progress by hiring nine temporary employees to help fill gaps in coverage.
"Our first priority is the people, hiring, training, staffing, and finding efficiencies in the operation to bring back some work life balance," Wriggelsworth said.
Captain Andrew Daenzer who will step into the role of Emergency Operations Division Commander, said his primary focus is improving working conditions for staff while maintaining quality emergency services for residents.
"Us being a team working together, I think it just provides an all-around better service to the community," Daenzer said.
Local residents appear supportive of the proposed change. Don Waskiewicz, an area resident, said he sees benefits in the consolidation.
"I think it's a benefit for small communities because it's difficult to maintain a sufficient staff for things like that," Waskiewicz said.
The recommendation now awaits review and approval from the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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