Michelle Kidwell is now serving as the interim director of the Callaway County Joint Communications Center in addition to her duties as director of Callaway County Emergency Management.
Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann said director Shelly Anderson has resigned.
"Michelle Kidwell has been asked to serve in both positions at this time. She has previous experience as the 911 director in Miller County and fully understands the operations of the center," Jungermann said.
"Michelle will be busy supervising both the Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Communications Center. She is doing well. She has three experienced shift supervisors to help her. The center is functioning well. We want her to give the commission recommendations on how the center should function."
Jungermann said the county has purchased two new computers for the 911 center, which now has state-of-the-art communications equipment throughout the center.
"The oldest equipment at the 911 center is now only about 11â„2 years old. We converted to narrow band radio equipment, and everything was upgraded. Our county has a good 911 center," Jungermann said.
Zim Schwartze, former director of the 911 call center in Columbia, was hired by the Callaway County Commission late last year to evaluate Callaway County's 911 call center. She now is director of the same emergency dispatching service for Springfield.
Jungermann said Schwartze's evaluation of the Callaway County 911 center found no major problems but some minor procedures and techniques have been changed.
In an effort to retain qualified employees, he said the county is now offering a $1,000 annual pay increase to employees who have been on the job and working successfully at the end of the first year.