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Portland’s Bureau of Emergency Communications hires and trains the employees who answer and dispatch 911 calls. Like 911 centers across the country, many employees left their jobs at the Bureau during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, call volume increased, resulting in long waits before calls were answered.
To address the Bureau’s staffing crisis and help reduce wait times, Emergency Communications’ Training Department increased its recruitment, hiring, and training of dispatcher trainees. Their efforts contributed to dramatically improved staffing at the Bureau and shorter 911 wait times.
