"The average vacancy rate across U.S. 911 centers hovers around 25%, and in some communities, half of the dispatchers the center should have simply aren't there. That doesn't mean calls stop, though. The burden falls on whoever's available, piling on stress and fatigue that comes with longer response times. It's not just a staffing problem but a wider public safety problem."
"The demands of the dispatcher role are extraordinary. These aren't switchboard operators but rather true community lifelines. In the middle of chaos, dispatchers have to listen closely and make sense of what's happening. They're entering details into different systems, talking a caller through some of the worst moments of their life, and at the same time keeping first responders in the loop. It's a juggling act few people could manage, let alone day after day."
"Agencies often report only a small fraction of applicants make it through the first round of screening, and fewer than that finish probation. This is no surprise, the job simply isn't for everyone. It requires sharp multitasking and a calm voice under pressure, with some estimating that fewer than one in 10 who are hired actually stay for longer than three years."
The average vacancy rate across U.S. 911 centers hovers around 25%, with some communities missing half their dispatch workforce. Remaining staff absorb calls, increasing stress, fatigue, and response times. Dispatchers must listen intently, interpret chaotic information, enter details into multiple systems, guide callers through emergencies, and coordinate first responders. Agencies report few applicants clear initial screening and even fewer complete probation. Training can take six months to over a year and requires mastering CAD, radio, mapping, medical and legal protocols, disaster procedures, and crisis communication across nonintegrated systems. Attrition is high; fewer than one in ten hires remain beyond three years, creating significant public safety risks.
Read at Fortune
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