I've been writing about 911 call center staffing issues at least since 2017, and maybe from 2015, depending on how you interpret a story or two. Things haven't gotten better. The hidden first responders: 911 dispatch center struggles with employment crisis | Sequim Gazette
The same issues. High turnover. Long hours with mandatory overtime. Problems attracting people to the job. It hasn't changed much in 8 years.
Currently, PenCom has 11 employees with two individuals on long-term leave and one in training. Forty-five percent of its positions are empty.
If a private company was 45 percent understaffed, I think management would conclude that there was a problem, probably with compensation, and maybe with corporate culture. These considerations don't seem to make much of an impression on the people responsible for running 911 call centers.
The story remains the same, though in this case the call center did raise pay 20% in 2021, but only 5% in the past two years.
Politicians have a continuing desire to not understand economics. But what is new?
But it is finally being hammered home. Again in the case detailed here, they have offered substantial retention bonuses the past 2 years.
The article tries to put a positive spin on the job, but the truth is, 911 operators are usually talking to people on one of the worst days of their lives, or at least the past couple of years. Their house is on fire. Someone broke into the their home. There has been a car accident. That doesn't even consider the stress caused by insanity that people call 911 about.
Until the pay matches the stress level, staffing problems will continue.
Part of the problem is DEI hiring of incompetent boobs. I have 33 years experience in the fire service, as well as prior military communications expertise. I was not hired at two different agencies because I am not a Hispanic or black woman. The ones they do hire wash out and then cause the remaining employees to burn out either with excessive overtime or added stress. They couldn't get the fact that I could jump into that job with minimal training on equipment and procedures. Their loss. I am staying put for the next three years and then retiring, so bye-bye working world.
ReplyDelete