They answer the call 24/7, even during a hiring squeeze
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — “911 — what is the address of your emergency?” a Deschutes County dispatcher asked Friday — a famous line we recognize and rely on, 24/7. The trustworthy ring and assurance that help will soon be on the way.
On the surface, 911 dispatchers are a calm voice in the dark for many — but they serve our community in great, unseen ways.
The 911 call-takers function as the first first responders. They answer calls all day — many of which save lives.
Deschutes County 911 gets 1,000-1,200 calls per day. If there are eight employees, that means they could answer 150 calls a day — each…
LOS GATOS, CA — The town of Los Gatos is facing a police dispatcher shortage, a situation that the president of the police union last week deemed a “public health crisis” as frustrations boiled over at a recent Town Council meeting.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department currently has four full-time dispatchers for its 24-hour emergency dispatch center to serve over 30,000 residents, Town Manager Laurel Prevetti told Patch on Thursday.
Bryan Paul, president of the Los Gatos Police Officers Association, said last week that the remaining dispatchers were all working overtime hours, burnt out and exploring leaving the department. The town has the budget for eight dispatchers, but four dispatchers have either resigned or retired since July 2020, two more dispatcher trainees resigned and the town administration has been slow to fill the spots, according to Paul…
When we are in crisis, we expect to be able to pick up the phone, call 911, and get help. However, too many in our region have experienced the gut-wrenching moment when that help doesn’t answer or takes too long to arrive. Some, mistrustful of our policing system, choose not to call 911 to begin with.
Despite its shortcomings, 911 is the system that we are taught to rely upon. Of the more-than 61 million interactions Americans had with police in 2018, more than half (about 57%) were the result of resident-initiated requests for police services. The emergency call number is the front door into our criminal justice system. But it is a neglected portal whose dysfunction is symptomatic of shortcomings found throughout our public safety system…
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is joining with Representative Norma Torres (D-CA35) and departments around the country to support the role of 9-1-1 dispatchers and their help in keeping things safe.
Under the Bureau’s Standard Occupation Classification System (SOCS), telecommunicators are classified as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations.”
The Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Ace (911 Saves) was introduced by Representative Torres, a former 9-1-1 dispatcher, and would order the government to categorize “TCs” as a “protective service occupation” with others in public safety roles… READ MORE
Instead of dispatching armed police officers, Akron officials are exploring the possibility of a civilian response to 911 calls that involve non-violent disputes, mental health crises and more.
City Council’s Reimagining Public Safety Committee dedicated an hour last week to the idea that trained social service and mental health care workers — working with police or on their own — could mediate better outcomes while freeing up officers to focus limited time and resources on priority calls and criminal investigations.
While nothing formal has been proposed, the head of the police union says someone will get hurt with this “warm and fuzzy way to defund the police.” Proponents argue that culturally competent civilians with ties to the community could serve as “credible messengers” who help to break the cycle of addiction and homelessness. And other cities have been doing this for months or even decades with no tragic outcomes…
Indianapolis, IN – After more than 20 years of faithful service to the state of Indiana, Telecommunications Operator Donna Schultz has retired.
Donna is a native of Louisville Kentucky and a 1976 graduate of Dupont Manual High School. She began her career with the Indiana State Police June 4, 2001 as a telecommunications operator at the Sellersburg Post. In 2009 she moved to central Indiana and transferred her position to the Indianapolis Post where she has served since.
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
