County continues to monitor Ferris 911 calls

FERRIS – The City of Ferris had one dispatcher left at the end of 2020. 

This week – ALL the dispatchers have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Due to the shortage, the city has moved its 911 dispatcher service to Ellis County to help out during the pandemic.

According to Ferris City Manager Brooks Williams, 20 percent of Ferris’ city staff are sick with COVID – or ten employees, including those handling the city’s emergency dispatch. 

During the month of December, a dispatcher from the city also died of COVID-19. 

The city has 52 employees overall. Those who have tested positive for COVID are from the City Manager’s office and the building, finance, fire, police and animal services departments, according to Williams.

While it seems it is only the Ferris 911 service at the moment in need of assistance, with COVID the need could arise in other small cities too.

“The struggles we face will have dire consequences for rural areas outside of the immediate metroplex like Ferris,” Williams said. 

“Beyond some funding for rural health care and telemedicine, rural communities were practically left out of the policy debate surrounding federal relief packages.”

As for the burden being put on Ellis County due to the dispatcher issue in Ferris, Ellis County Commission  Paul Perry, pct. 3, said matter-of-factly, “The county knows how to offset this kind of situation and is prepared.”