Wasco County Commissioners approved bringing in a firm to provide temporary emergency dispatchers to assist with low staffing levels while hiring to fill open positions takes place. County Dispatch Manager Christa Silver told the Commission they will enter into a six-month contract with Rescue 911 to provide relief to the current staff and reduce overtime and burnout. Silver says the contract will give them time to fill two open emergency dispatch positions, noting it takes at least two months to go through the hiring process, and then training takes place. In other business, the County Commission extended the state of emergency related the Rowena Fire for another three months to February 1. That will allow the County to continue to have access to resources for fire recovery. The State of Oregon also recently extended its emergency declaration for the Rowena Fire for a similar period of time.