New voices from the Webster County 911 dispatch center are being heard across scanner traffic, communicating with first responders and residents who need assistance.

That’s because New Jersey-based IXP has begun the process of hiring dispatchers and working with them on training and expectations.

The Webster County Telecommunications Board approved a contract with IXP in June. The contract is set for five years, but the Telecom board can opt out if it is not satisfied with the service.

The first year cost for the firm’s services is $560,000.

On Thursday, Telecom board members provided a brief update on the firm’s impact.

Chief Deputy Rod Strait, the Telecom board chairman, said staff has had to put in long shifts as the hiring process continues.

“When we pulled off the band-aid and made this switch, we lost basically our whole night shift,” Strait said. “Basically everyone switched to a 12-hour shift. Employees are working 12-hour shifts right now.”

Strait said Brandi Weinzetl, the Fort Dodge Police Department evidence technician, has been contributing as a dispatcher.

“Right now we are using Brandi from the PD and that can’t continue,” Strait said. “When we were trying to staff the one day, we had to use part-time employees who weren’t certified.”

Fort Dodge Assistant Police Chief Cory Husske said most dispatchers weren’t certified in the past.

“A majority of workers have not been certified except Heidi (Smith) and Brittni (Nelson), which hasn’t been a problem until now,” he said.

Heidi Smith resigned earlier in the year.

Husske said to be certified means dispatchers need at least eight hours of continuing education each year.

Strait seemed to indicate the plan going forward would be to certify as many dispatchers as possible.

“It isn’t our plan to have a communications center without all certified staff,” Strait said.

Husske said four new dispatchers have been hired in recent weeks. He said each one is from the Fort Dodge area.

“No one that works here, works from New Jersey,” he said.

Strait said another issue as the transition continues is how employees are being paid.

“We are using taxpayer money twice to pay for employees,” Strait said. “So we need to go through Bowser (& Richman, LLP) and IXP to balance that out.”

Strait said a testing for dispatchers would be held Aug. 7 at the LEC.

Police Chief Roger Porter said that will be the third such testing IXP has had.

Daniel Posluszy is the regional manager for IXP who is overseeing the Webster County dispatch operations.

Issues that he has identified include: “inexperience of staff when seated in communications center,” and “ensuring training is ongoing and relevant to needs of center.”