GLENDALE, AZ — A critical shortage of emergency-call operators could make it more difficult to get immediate help across the country.
ABC15 has previously reported on the Phoenix Police Department’s need to hire more dispatchers.
The Glendale Police Department is facing the same hiring difficulties, leading them to create more uplifting workspaces to recruit good talent and keep the employees they already have.
Adequate staffing is now a serious issue at almost half of all 911 dispatch centers across this nation, according to research from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and the National Association of State 911 Administrators.
ABC15 spoke with Michaelanne Acree, a former 911 operator and dispatcher with the Glendale Police Department, who now works as a Communications Supervisor with the department.
"We're helping people, sometimes on the worst day of their life,” she said. “We're trying to keep them calm and get them the help that they need."
The job of a 911 operator can be mentally taxing, according to Acree.
"Mentally you have to be prepared for a job like this," she said. "It can take a lot out of you if you don't have the right tools or support system to help you."
And training is thorough and time-consuming.
"It can take up to nine months to fully train a dispatcher on both call taking and dispatch," Acree said.
Currently, law enforcement agencies across the Valley are hiring. At the Glendale Police Department, Acree said there are currently 12 people training to answer emergency phone calls, with five positions still open.
With more jobs to fill than candidates seeking these jobs, the competition to recruit new talent is fierce. With this in mind, the Glendale Police Department is finding ways to create an uplifting workspace. To combat the high-stress environment, a black Labrador named Mika visits operators and dispatchers a few times a week.
"We got her in January,” Acree said. “She's here for a few days a week, but she also visits our other support services area at the main station. Our call takers love her and if they need a little break, they'll take her out for a short walk or to go to the bathroom."
We asked if Mika was helping the recruiting efforts or helping to boost morale.
"Actually, I think it is," Acree said. "We had a statewide recruitment event a couple of weeks ago. We took her out there and everybody flocks to Mika first. She's a great talking point. We have her in our centers to support our people and to help them cope at times."
Despite the hardships of the job, Acree acknowledges that miracles happen daily.
"That's what continues to give us hope,” she said. “ If you're someone who can focus well under pressure, listen well, and have a genuine desire to help people, this can be a very rewarding career."
It's also a career that finally comes with thoughtful mental health benefits.
Governor Katie Hobbs recently signed legislation that allows Arizona's 911 dispatchers to receive free trauma therapy.
Police officers and firefighters already qualify for a program that funds 12 therapy sessions for those who witness a person's death, were subjected to deadly force, or were involved in a case where children were victimized.
This legal move also prohibits employers from forcing dispatchers to use their vacation or sick time to attend therapy sessions.
