SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — While it may look like a normal building in downtown Pottsville on the inside, workers here at the Schuylkill County Communications Center are saving lives with every call they answer.
"I consider us the first first responders. Before the first responders come out, we respond to the initial call to get them ready to go out, said Scott Krater, Communications Director.
But like many other 911 call centers in our area, they are struggling to find enough people to answer phones.
The employee shortage has forced Communications Director, Scott Krater, to rework his budget in order to cover overtime costs from now till the end of the year.
"Fortunately, we're not down as bad. We're only 15-20% down on our staff. But there's places with staff that are down by 40-45%," explained Krater.
Krater says it's crucial to hire people familiar with Schuylkill County when tackling emergency calls.
"Obviously, for locations, they're going to know their geography," Krater said.
And while the Schuylkill County Communications Center is currently training new employees, Krater would still like to hire more people who are passionate about saving lives.
"They walk out the door and say, I might have helped someone out today. I saved a loved one, or I helped deliver a baby, or I helped that person get out of a burning house," Krated added.
If you would like to save lives by answering the 65,000 emergency calls the Schuylkill County Communications Center receives every year, you can find more information here.
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