A Message Concerning 911 Staffing Across America

I would like to reach out to everyone who has people they care about. We are facing a true crisis moment in the 911 industry. Our staffing nationally is at critical mass right now, far below where it should be. Like other professions, the 911 industry is suffering from the lack of candidates to perform this critical societal role.

​I’m very lucky to teach in many centers across America and meet so many amazing professionals. Precipitators of burnout, including mandatory overtime and being forced in from home, are the daily expectations for anyone working in the 911 industry right now. Stress levels are going through the roof with an ever more demanding call volume.

​I met an incredible communications center supervisor from Austin, Texas. She spoke eloquently and very emotionally about how much her staff was going through on a daily basis. Erica spoke to how every shift is far below minimums and how the general workplace mood is continually getting worse. Austin is a city of almost one million people; To be understaffed to such an extent is incredibly challenging and not to mention dangerous. Mistakes get made when people are this overworked. Extended hold times and dispatch times have an undeniable impact on the outcomes for some calls.

​We are lucky to have amazing people like Erica who are looking for nothing more than to help her staff. We have so many amazing Directors, Chiefs, and Sheriffs across the country all working tirelessly towards achieving the same goal. We are elite problem solvers, and we need to work together as an industry to solve this staffing crisis.

​Please, everyone, send Austin some good vibes and your support. They, like so many centers nationally, need it badly today.

Please share this post, and please contact your politicians and let them know we need their help.

Ted Bourgeois
Director, Lead Educator
American Emergency Preparedness