Pennsylvania Game News - September 2022 - 27

Getting to this point took a lot of
time and effort, Reeder said. The work
started in 2017, when the Game Commission
first asked the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials
(APCO) to evaluate the efficiency of its
dispatch centers, spread out across six
regions and the Harrisburg headquarters.
The goal was to see if consolidating those
into one central unit made sense from the
standpoint of efficiency and economics.
When the answer came back yes,
another yearlong study was launched,
this one looking at how the center might
be designed and what that would cost.
Finally, work to implement the new
center began. Construction started in fall
of 2020 and involved a large room for
seven call-taker stations, four dispatcher
stations and office space.
The following three months were
filled with the installation of dispatch
furniture and radio and computer equipment.
The
Game Commission also hired
its first two dispatch supervisors, Sara
Rosazza and Nicholas Sechrist. Rosazza
came from Bedford County 911 and
Sechrist from Pennsylvania State Police,
where he was a Public Communications
Operator trainer.
The center then launched in phases.
After extensive testing, phase one -
which involved bringing dispatchers
from the Northcentral, Southcentral and
Southeast regions to Harrisburg - went
live in July 2021.
In short order, Reeder said, the
benefits of the centralized dispatch
center became clear. Customer support
improved, he said, especially in hunting
season, with the streamlined system.
" We have put together a great team, "
Reeder said. " I am very proud of the
work they are doing. "
SEPTEMBER 2022
CONTACT US
Contacting the Game Commission is
easier than ever. With the agency's
new Centralized Dispatch Center,
callers anywhere in Pennsylvania can
use either of two easy-to-remember
phone numbers to reach a Game Commission
dispatcher, who can direct any
call appropriately. Those numbers are:
1-833-PGC-HUNT
1-833-PGC-WILD
(1-833-742-4868)
(1-833-742-9453)
When phoning in, callers trying to
reach a Game Commission employee
can enter the employee's extension
when prompted or search for the
employee by last name. Callers reporting
a wildlife emergency or violation
should press 1. Those seeking licensing
should press 2. All other callers can
stay on the line for a dispatcher.
Phase two - bringing in the dispatchers
from the Northwest, Southwest and
Northeast regions - followed in July
2022. The dispatch center as a whole
finally went live in August 2022, five
years after the decision to investigate it
was first made.
" It has been challenging, but also
very rewarding to see the center come
together, " Reeder said.
Grohol agreed, saying the switch to a
centralized dispatch center has already
been a " huge success, " one that will only
prove its worth even more going forward.
" It's all about being able to better
serve the public and our employees, "
Grohol said. " If we want to be more
important to the people of the state, we
have to show that we respond when they
need us. "
27
Pennsylvania Game News - September 2022

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