What If You Called 911, and No One Answered?

It isn't that bad yet, but certain jurisdictions are moving in that direction. 'We do have an issue': York County 911 Center still struggling to fill positions

The 911 center is budgeted for 78 dispatchers but currently has 49 total, with 35 being full time, seven being part time and seven being trainees, according to 911 director Matthew Hobson, who was hired last year.

When you are that understaffed, people work a lot of overtime. But that makes turnover higher.

Some union members have reported not being able to take time off, he added.

“Who wants to go work at a place where you’re not going to be able to get off for your kid’s birthday?” said [Steve Mullen, president of the local chapter of the American Federation of County and Municipal Employees], whose union is in contract negotiations with the county.

They paid a bunch of money to a consultant. They think that means they are trying to solve the problem.

While understaffing has been a problem for years at the center — the county spent nearly $1 million over three years on outside consultants and audits to address the problem

They will do everything, except increase the wages. Here is a story from last year. Union: Boost pay to fix 911 center staffing shortage.

And the pay is definitely an issue. It is in most 911 centers. But the other issue is that those consultants, and the management for most counties, do everything in their power to turn a hard job into a soul-crushing experience. You don't think it would be hard to talk to people on the worst days of their lives? When some has drowned, or been shot, or an ex-boyfriend is trying to break into an apartment? And also deal with all the BS calls that clog every 911 center in America, of course. (Never underestimate the power of stupid.)

But low pay is almost always an issue in these cases.

And the shortage of people is impacting response. They reference an incident where it took 4 minutes to dispatch police, though they don't detail the nature of the call.

The politicans and the bureaucrats are short on details, but want the public to know that they are "doing everything [they] can to alleviate the situation." Everything except raise the pay, of course.