Tucson Sees COVID-19 Outbreak in Emergency 911 Call Center

In a COVID-19 world, emergency dispatch centers are more important than ever. 911 call centers are a source for police, fire and emergency medical help, and during the global pandemic, citizens are using these resources more than ever. In many cases, however, 911 call centers are finding themselves unable to muster the resources to meet community needs. Worse, many call center workers are testing positive for COVID-19 themselves.

At Tucson, Arizona’s main communications center, which handles emergency calls, at least 17 employees have tested positive for the virus, according to local news source KOLD News 13. Of the 17 workers that tested positive, 11 were asymptomatic and six were symptomatic. In addition, eight workers were sent home as a precaution and are awaiting test results. A spokesperson for the county said that despite the troubles, the 911 center’s operations remain unaffected despite a drop in staffing levels.

“Protocols were put into place which did not interrupt 911 service or other service calls,” city manager Michael Ortega told KOLD News 13.

The spokesperson stated that the city has taken new steps to protect workers’ health, and that it should act as a “wake up” call that all city employees who wish to be tested should be able to get a test.

“It was a very serious situation,” Ortega said. “I feel very confident that the measures we instituted now are keeping employees safe.”

The new measures have left some city officials wondering why the CDC-approved guidelines weren’t in place before. Ward 6 council member Steve Kozachik told KOLD News 13 that the outbreaks could have been prevented, and that the city’s 911 center is critical to local operations and public health and safety.

“The Comm center is ground zero for our ability to protect the safety of the public,” Kozachik said. “Every one of the CDC guidelines, including distancing, masks, testing, tracing and treating should have gone into effect on the first day the City shut down in March.”

Kozachik indicated that he plans to request a timeline outlining when each of the safety measures was implemented.

Many 911 call centers across the country have taken steps to ensure that workers are protected from exposure to COVID-19, including installing plastic barriers between workers, spreading employees throughout the building, staggering shifts and implementing work-from-home programs.

Edited by Maurice Nagle