CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte has been reporting for weeks about slow response times when people call 911. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said this year they have answered about 11,500 more calls compared to last year but with fewer staff on board.
It's a concern WCNC Charlotte has taken to the city council and county commissioners.
'We are going to have to make these adjustments'
Monday night, the city manager gave an update on the issues surrounding 911 calls and response times.
City leaders said getting the call center properly staffed so people are able to connect to a person as quickly as possible is a top priority.
“We got to make sure that we get to the industry standard of answering every single call within 10 seconds or less,” Dimple Ajmera, Charlotte City Council Member at large, said.
The industry standard is for 90% of calls to be answered in 10 seconds or less. Only 60% of CMPD’s 911 calls are meeting this standard.
Staffing shortages are plaguing CMPD’s 911 call center. The agency is dealing with a higher volume of emergency calls and fewer call takers.
Moreover, 911 calls are not getting answered as quickly as possible.
It's a concern for Mecklenburg County Commissioner Mark Jerrell.
“We want to make sure that when people call 911 there is a response," Jerrell said. "A rapid response.”
Charlotte is not the only city facing these challenges. Back in August, the National Emergency Number Association reported call centers nationwide averaged about a 15% to 20% vacancy prior to the pandemic.
That number is now up to 30%.
“We have moved through this pandemic, which really exacerbated these issues,” Jerrell said. “So again, we are going to have to make these adjustments to move forward and make sure the community has the resources it needs.”
CMPD said staffing became even more challenging after the state of North Carolina increased hiring requirements for telecommunicators.
“There have been some changes from the state that has required additional time. So we used to be able to onboard someone within four to six weeks,” Ajmera said. "Now that has gone to over 10 weeks."
“Our requirements should always be evaluated, we want to make sure they are not too stringent, but they are stringent enough to provide the responsiveness that we need,” Jerrell said.
'A number one priority'
Ajmera said she’s had several conversations with the city manager and CMPD Chief Jennings on the issue and is looking forward to an update.
“We are going to see the data as to how the steps that have been implemented, how is it addressing the response time because it is absolutely a number one priority for me and many of my colleagues,” she explained.
CMPD said it is not only focused on recruiting but also retaining staff.
“CMPD has implemented a number of steps, including a hiring bonus, increase in salary, a number of other steps in terms of flexibility, providing flexibility to our employees,” Ajmera said.
Jerrell said thinking outside the box may help find solutions to the staffing shortage.
“We have to find creative ways to fill those gaps so we have to really look at partnerships and links within the community to where people can fill those gaps to help support our residents,” Jerrell said.
He added an awareness campaign to know when to call 911 to help reduce the volume of calls should also be considered.
“I’d be curious to learn out of that 30% gap… how many of those calls could have been 311-directed instead of 911-directed,” Jerrell said.
CMPD did recently release a video breaking down when to call, what happens when you do call 911, and also dealing with non-emergencies.
Jerrell said more videos and education efforts can go a long way.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.