"Across the country, emergency call centers are short-staffed, underfunded, and losing dispatchers faster than they can replace them. A 2023 survey found that one in four 911 positions nationwide is vacant, and 36% of centers reported having fewer positions filled in 2022 than in 2019. Martinez explains to Business Insider how dispatchers decide who gets help first for police, ambulance, and fire services, why they sometimes have to drop one call to save another, and the "caller hacks" that can literally save your life."
"Ricardo Martinez II spent more than a decade as a 911 dispatcher, handling thousands of emergencies as US 911 centers face a nationwide staffing and funding crisis. He also reveals how burnout, low pay, and constant emotional strain are pushing America's "first first responders" to the brink. Martinez now works for a 911 solutions company that manages emergency call networking and trains dispatchers on multiple platforms."
Ricardo Martinez II spent more than a decade as a 911 dispatcher, handling thousands of emergencies amid a nationwide staffing and funding crisis. Emergency call centers are short-staffed and losing dispatchers faster than they can be replaced, with one in four positions vacant and many centers staffed at lower levels than in 2019. Dispatchers must triage incoming calls, sometimes dropping one call to save another, and use practical "caller hacks" that can preserve life. Burnout, low pay, and constant emotional strain are driving dispatchers away. Martinez now trains dispatchers, manages call networking, and leads the #IAm911 movement.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]