AUSTIN, Texas — Despite Williamson County expanding its telecommunicator training academy, several positions in the Emergency Communications Department remain unfilled.
Williamson County said that the reason for the vacancies is that employees would stay for the training, but then leave for higher-paying jobs. To counteract this problem, Williamson County raised the starting pay for their telecommunicators to more than $50,000.
Senior Director of Emergency Services Chris Connealy said that they restructured to not only attract but also to retain employees.
"We have a state-of-the-art communication center, excellent medical and dental coverage and an exceptional retirement," said Connealy. "Being a telecommunicator is an excellent job for a person who is willing to train and wants the opportunity for career advancement."
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The only requirements for the job are a high school diploma and the ability to pass a background check, all other training for the required licensing is provided by the County.
Williamson County's telecommunicators work 12-hour shifts and are responsible for the dispatches for 38 agencies, including Williamson County EMS and the Sheriff's Office.
House Bill 1090, which went into effect on Sept. 1, reclassified telecommunicators as first responders. The new designation allows telecommunicators to access the benefits and protections that are available to other first responders.
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Melissa Martinez, a telecommunications officer IV with Williamson County, said that this career is a rewarding one.
"You have the capability to make a difference in somebody's life every day," said Martinez.
Williamson County said applications for the November training academy will be accepted through mid-October online.
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