Luzerne County 911 Executive Director Fred Rosencrans has submitted his resignation and will end his county employment July 28, county Manager Romilda Crocamo told county council Friday afternoon.
“I want to thank Fred for his years of dedicated service and his contribution to Luzerne County. As executive director of 911, he saved countless lives,” Crocamo wrote. “He will be missed.”
In his resignation letter, Rosencrans said he will ease the transition by assisting Crocamo and 911 staff with any training tasks during his final weeks on the job and leaving thorough instructions and records for his replacement.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the knowledge and experience I have gained by working here,” Rosencrans wrote. “I am very grateful for the time I have spent with Luzerne County 911 and the professional relationships I’ve built.”
He also addressed Crocamo directly, writing, “It has truly been a pleasure working for you, and I hope and know our paths will cross again in the future.”
Rosencrans was one of three finalists for the county manager position. County council selected Crocamo, who started the oversight position May 25.
A Dallas Township resident, Rosencrans has more than 27 years of experience in municipal and county government.
He has worked for the county more than 17 years, starting as a data/technical support manager in March 2006. He was appointed interim 911 director in May 2013 and was promoted to 911 executive director in 2014.
At the start of 2022, he served as the county’s interim operational services division head for 90 days while continuing to oversee 911.
Rosencrans was a full-time Dallas Township police officer from June 1998 until his county employment.
In a follow-up interview Friday, Rosencrans said he has secured another position outside county government but cannot yet discuss the specifics.
“I truly love what I do here and care about the 911 center and its success,” he said. “Leaving is a personal choice for my family and health and future. Too good of an opportunity arose, and I couldn’t pass it up.”
The county’s 911 center marked its 25th anniversary last month and provides police, fire and emergency medical dispatching for 175 agencies throughout the county.
It is one of the top 15 busiest of the 62 countywide dispatch centers in the state, processing an average 430,000 emergency and non-emergency calls annually, Rosencrans has said.
Last year, the county activated a new communications system that included additional communication towers in new locations, improved microwaves and the replacement of a 20-year-old analog radio system with a new digital one for law enforcement and emergency responders to exchange messages.
It corrected spotty or nonexistent emergency radio coverage, ended radio interference and opened up more radio channels for responders.
Radio coverage testing and a legal contract review are underway as part of the county’s final acceptance of the new system, which is targeted for Aug. 1, Rosencrans said.
The center also is working to implement two system upgrades that will be covered by $2.98 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding awards approved by county council, he said. These enhanced features will allow 911 to remotely update the more than 4,000 emergency radios in the field and transmit the GPS coordinates of emergency responders so their whereabouts are known for safety purposes.
“We did a lot of great things at 911. I can leave with my head held high knowing I am leaving this place in much better condition than when I started,” Rosencrans said.
Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo said he has great respect for Rosencrans, describing him as devoted, hardworking and knowledgeable.
“He truly ended his county government career on a high note with the success of the digital radio system upgrade,” Lombardo said. “I have nothing but kind words to say about him and support anything that he does.”
Staffing shortage
The most pressing unresolved issue is recruiting and retaining 911 telecommunicators.
Due to the staffing shortage crisis, the department’s managers and supervisors have been assisting with emergency call-taking and dispatch.
While the number fluctuates, approximately half of the telecommunicator positions — 32 of 64 — were vacant as of Friday, Rosencrans said. Several new applicants are schedule to start a training class next week, he said.
The administration and AFSCME union have been “working aggressively” to address telecommunicator staffing challenges, he said.
In a union contract county council approved last year, the starting salary for telecommunicator trainees increased from $32,900 ($15.81/hour) to $37,500 ($18/hour).