Understaffed Broward County 911 Center Leads to Rise in Abandoned Calls

In a trend that is happening all over the U.S., Broward County, Florida recently reported that its 911 emergency call center is struggling to keep up due to understaffing. Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony told the Associated Press (News - Alert) that the center is experiencing difficulty retaining dispatchers, who leave positions to make more money elsewhere. The admission set off a disagreement between Tony and several Broward County Commissioners, who instructed the sheriff to resolve the problems quickly.

The sheriff and the county commissioners are disagreeing over the funds available for hiring and retaining emergency dispatch personnel.

“Give everybody a raise ... and you won’t lose anybody,” Commissioner Mark Bogen told the sheriff. “You got the money to do that right now without us giving you a penny.”

The sheriff responded to county commissioners that his agency lacks the money to fill the empty positions. At press time, there were 92 job openings for 911 call center workers in Broward County. Currently employed dispatchers are working 12- to 16-hour shifts to try and fill the gap.

The understaffing was uncovered by reporters working for the South Florida SunSentinel. The newspaper’s investigation found documentation of thousands of unanswered 911 calls in the region, leading to an increase in abandoned calls (calls disconnected before they are picked up) of 26 percent from 2019 to 2021. In February alone, the most recent month for which data are available, the center experienced 14,505 abandoned calls.

Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, who formerly served as the county’s emergency 911 director, said the need is urgent for more funds to hire new workers and retain existing ones. Moskowitz cited as an example of the burgeoning problem a home in the Hollywood, Florida area that burned while calls to 911 went unanswered, and several medical emergencies, one of which resulted in the death of a child.

Understaffing is a challenge at call centers across the country, which is why having the right technology solutions in place to maximize agent efficiency is imperative – especially in emergency situations.  From workforce management tools to communications platforms, technology can help improive operational effeciency and positive outcomes in call centers.

Edited by Erik Linask