BIDDEFORD, Maine — The town of Biddeford is offering the most competitive hourly wage in Maine in an effort to hire and retain fully-certified 911 dispatchers.
Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said there are six openings that have been really hard to fill. The town is offering $41 per hour for fully-certified dispatchers. She said those who don't have the full certification would get $27 per hour, and the department would pay for a one-month intensive training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
Dispatchers answer emergency calls for police, fire, and medical services.
"As long as you are age 18 and you pass a background investigation, we will hire you, we will train you," Fisk said. "It's approximately a 4 to 6 month training period, and we pay you and we pay for your training."
Fisk said the per diem positions are for people who are certified in answering the 911 lines.
"If we don't have enough of them, then that's a position I really don't want to be in. That's not safe for the community, not safe for the first responders. They are literally the backbone of our agency," Fisk explained.
If you would like to apply to these openings, click here.