Trimble County feeling impact of emergency management worker shortage

KENTUCKIANA WORKS. COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER IS CHANGING LIVES. I COULD SEE A BRIGHTER FUTURE. I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, A SOLID, YOU KNOW, LIFESTYLE AS COMPARED TO WHERE I’M COMING FROM. I’M I’M A BLESSING. THE JOY IS EVIDENT WHEN YOU TALK TO YETUNDE SODIPO DAVIDS. I’M IN SCHOOL LIKE I’M GOING TO BE A REGISTERED. NURSE. THAT’S THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT TO SIX YEARS AGO. SHE AND THREE OF HER KIDS IMMIGRATED HERE FROM NIGERIA. SHE SAYS SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING TO GET A COLLEGE EDUCATION, AND SHE CREDITS THE KENTUCKIANA WORKS COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER FOR HELPING HER ALONG THE WAY. SO THEY MADE A, YOU KNOW, A FULL IMPACT, A POSITIVE IMPACT IN MY LIFE. THE COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER OFFERS FREE RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE BARRIERS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, FROM FILLING OUT FINANCIAL AID FORMS TO GETTING CAREER COUNSELING. THERE’S A NEW VERSION OF THE FAFSA APPLICATION THAT’S NOW OUT IN THE COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER, SAYS THEY WANT TO BRANCH OUTSIDE OF LOUISVILLE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT PROPERLY FILLS OUT THIS APPLICATION. SO THERE IS AN URGENCY TO GET IT DONE BECAUSE OF THE NEW WAY THAT IT LOOKS. THIS YEAR. AND SO FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO FILL OUT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT. THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS ON THERE THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE PAST. FAFSA. AND SO WE’RE TYPICALLY TRYING TO GET THEM TO FILL IT OUT EARLY SO THAT WE DON’T HIT ANY GLITCHES. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, EVERY YEAR, MORE THAN 17 MILLION STUDENTS FILL OUT THE FAFSA APPLICATION WITH THE UPDATED APPLICATION KCAC WANTS TO ENSURE PEOPLE LIKE SODIPO DAVIS CONTINUES TO HAVE A SUCCESS STORY. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO SCHOOL, BUT ARE NERVOUS AT THE SAME TIME, AND SO THAT’S WHY WE ARE HERE, TO KIND OF HOLD THEIR HAND THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS THEY’RE TRANSITIONING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE. ANDREA TURNER, WLKY NEWS NOW YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER TO GET THE HELP THAT YOU NEED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WLKY DOT COM. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE COUNTRY HAS SEEN A DECLINE IN PEOPLE WANTING TO WORK AS A 911 DISPATCHER AND NOW LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE FEELING THE IMPACT AND IN SOME CASES IT’S TAKING LONGER TO GET CREWS TO EMERGENCIES. WLKY ADDIE MEINERS TALKED WITH OFFICIALS IN TRIMBLE COUNTY WHO ARE WORKING ON SOLUTIONS. WHEN YOU CALL 911 IN TRIMBLE COUNTY, 911 WHERE’S YOUR EMERGENCY? THE CALL SHOULD BE ANSWERED HERE AT THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE POST FIVE IN HENRY COUNTY. BUT DUE TO STAFFING SHORTAGES, EMERGENCY CALLS ARE CURRENTLY BEING ANSWERED HERE. THREE COUNTIES AWAY IN HARDIN COUNTY. LOCAL RESIDENTS CALL THINGS BY LOCAL NAMES, SO WITHOUT HAVING THAT KNOWLEDGE, THEY’RE UNABLE TO GIVE PROPER INFORMATION TO US AS RESPONDERS. THE TRIMBLE COUNTY EMS DIRECTOR WILL MCCOY, SAYS HIS TEAM HAS BEEN MISDIRECTED SEVERAL TIMES, WHICH MAKES WAIT TIMES FOR SERVICE LONGER. KSP IS IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING MORE DISPATCHERS FOR POST FIVE, WHICH SERVICES. OWEN, TRIMBLE AND HENRY COUNTIES. BUT THE COST HAS GONE UP FROM AROUND $50,000 PER YEAR TO NOW. MORE THAN 120,000. YOU KNOW, WE’RE PAYING PREMIUM PRICING AND WE’RE GETTING LESS THAN ADEQUATE SERVICE. A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE, ACCORDING TO TRIMBLE COUNTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE JOHN OGBURN, WOULD BE TO CREATE A REGIONAL EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH CENTER. THAT CENTER COULD COVER 5 TO 6 LOCAL COUNTIES. OGBURN SAYS HE’S WORKING WITH JUDGE, EXECUTIVE FROM HENRY AND OWEN COUNTIES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. IT’S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE’S GRANT MONEY OUT THERE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE AS A REGIONAL GROUP AND HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING A LARGER GRANT TO START A REGIONAL DISPATCH CENTER. TRIMBLE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE ALSO LOOKING AT WORKING WITH NEARBY CARROLL COUNTY OR OLDHAM COUNTY FOR DISPATCH SERVICES, BUT IT STILL POSES AN ISSUE WITH DISPATCHERS NOT KNOWING LOCAL AREAS AND IT DOESN’T ADDRESS THE OVERALL SHORTAGE OF DISPATCHERS, OGBURN SAYS HIS TEAM IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION FROM A FINANCIAL. STANDPOINT. UM, WE WANT TO DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CITIZENS AND OFFER THEM THE BEST SERVICE THAT THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE GUYS ARE GETTING DISPATCHED OUT, UM, IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND THEY KNOW WHERE THE