DC’s 911 call center is facing a staffing crisis, prompting the agency to offer a monthly bonus of $800 to employees who show up for all of their scheduled shifts. The announcement was made by Heather McGaffin, the director of the Office of Unified Communications, in an email on Tuesday. The department hopes that this generous incentive will help address the center’s staffing woes.
Staffing is crucial to the success of the agency, as unscheduled call outs have been on the rise, causing hardships for fellow employees who are constantly being asked to cover shifts. The pilot program is straightforward: show up for each assigned shift and receive an additional $800 for the month. This initiative started in August, and its aim is to improve attendance and ensure that the call center is adequately staffed.
The need for such measures became evident when NBC4 reported that the staffing levels at the 911 call center were critically low. In July, the department fell short of the minimum staffing levels 88% of the time. The situation was no better in June, with 31 out of 65 shifts being understaffed, compared to 16 out of 66 shifts in May. These statistics highlight the urgent need for action to address the staffing crisis.
However, staffing is not the only challenge faced by the call center. The agency is also grappling with major computer hardware issues, which have caused the 911 system to go offline six times this year. Just two weeks ago, the system was down for a nerve-wracking two hours. During that time, a DC family attempted to call 911 for their 5-month-old baby who was unresponsive, but they were unable to get through. Tragically, the infant later died. Such incidents highlight the dire consequences of system failures and the urgency to address them.
The crisis at the call center has raised concerns among DC residents, who feel shaken and skeptical about the agency’s leadership and ability to turn things around. DC Councilmember Charles Allen expressed his worries, stating that not a week goes by without constituents reaching out with complaints about being unable to reach 911 or experiencing significant delays in emergency response. Allen believes that the situation calls for major changes within the agency and a clear directive to address the issues.
The new bonuses for call center employees have drawn attention and criticism. Some see them as a clear admission that the agency is in dire need of reform. DC residents are concerned that the bonuses alone may not be enough to solve the underlying problems and restore trust in the call center’s operations. They are calling for more substantial changes and leadership that can effectively address the staffing and technical issues that have plagued the agency.
As of now, the Office of Unified Communications has not responded to requests for comment on the new bonuses. However, the situation at the call center underscores the need for immediate action and comprehensive reforms to ensure that DC residents can rely on a functioning and adequately staffed 911 system during emergencies.
