It is happening all over the country citizens are dialing 9-1-1, assuming that an operator will help them through their emergency, directing emergency services personnel to them in an expedient and professional manner. The headlines read in news chronicles .
Communities around the nation are risking the safety of citizens by failing to staff their communication centers with trained professionals. The reasons are numerous but ultimately reside in the ability to attract and retain professional dispatchers due to low wages and voluminous workloads. Compromising the safety of citizens is not an acceptable risk; city managers need to recognize the need for trained professionals in their emergency service departments and resolve to attract those individuals by offering competitive compensation.
The City and County of Denver is the largest city in the state with a resident population of 510,300 people. The daily influx of people for business and entertainment easily surpasses one million on any given day. Citizens flock to the city to partake in sporting events, art festivals and numerous entertainment events. Denver has hosted World Youth Day, the Summit of Eight, the Oklahoma City bombing trial, parades for the Superbowl champion Denver Broncos and the Stanley Cup winners, the Avalanche. The Denver Police Department, police officers, 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers routinely manage these magnanimous events with professionalism, while maintaining a safe environment for the rest of the city. The Denver Police Department Communications Center and the governing officials for the City and County of Denver can prevent this crisis, this state of panic, the comprising of citizen safety, by addressing the problems that are impacting the level of emergency services to the citizens. Denver Police Communications are experiencing a variety of problems in the current labor market that are affecting the ability to attract and retain professional operators and dispatchers. Combinations of high call volume and high priority incidents, volume that exceeds all the surrounding area law enforcement agencies. The workload and critical nature of the calls precipitate the crisis and coupled with slow wages results in the following types of crisis situations:
A job in a communication center falls somewhere between a neurosurgeon and an air-traffic controller in terms of stress levels. It is a certainty that communication center personnel make considerably less than both professions and provide as great a service. Simply put we are in competition with the economy, the private sector, which is offering large salaries, benefits and bonuses to attract workers and lure them away from public service. Coupled with the increased cost of living, shift work, varying days off, holidays and vacation we are failing to attract experienced personnel to work in the Denver Police Communications Center. Typically dispatchers and operators are taken for granted, rarely viewed as "real" law enforcement personnel, who on behalf of the city make decisions involving life and death situations daily. Citizens believe that their call for help will be answered immediately, never dreaming that they could call 9-1-1 and be placed on hold! The mission of the Denver Police Communications Center is "Help Starts Here!" On the first ring, an operator will answer and determine the nature of the call and have the appropriate units or agencies dispatched within minutes, allowing officers, firefighters or paramedics to be on scene quickly to save a life and apprehend a suspect. Never should any man, woman or child call 9-1-1 and reach a recording and have to wait in a queue while an intruder invades their home or while they or a loved one is being assaulted or even dying. The professionals in the Denver Police Communications Center want to be highly trained and skilled indivduals who can help bring any emergency situation to a positive conclusion. Good employees thrive on challenges, they want to help people fix things and make the world a better place. Here in the Communication Center they know that every time they answer the phone they have the chance to affect someone's life. They know their skills can keep officers safe and get them to an endangered citizen.
The Denver Police Department Communications Center personnel, 9-1-1 Operators, Police Dispatchers and Lead Personnel are proposing an increased salary compensation scale and staffing measurements to avoid a crisis in Denver.
As a resolution the following items are being proposed based on the need to attract and retain experienced emergency service personnel for the Communication Center:
1. Pay Increase
The percentage is based on the need to meet the starting pay scale of metro-area law enforcement agencies Lead / Supervisory positions and compensates our personnel for the same job duties and responsibilities.
This provides an incentive for internal promotion by attracting dedicated and knowledgeable operators and dispatchers to train and instruct.
2. Create New Pay Grades*
3. Receive a Step for Step Pay Increase
4. Create a Longevity Program
Create a longevity program to reward senior employees. Employees will receive $10 for every month of service after reaching the end of the pay range or 8 hours of compensatory time per year of service after reaching the end of the pay range.
5. Requisition and Authorize Additional Positions
Inclusive of all positions; 9-1-1 Operator, Police Dispatcher and Lead personnel to insure sufficient staffing levels at all times.
The Denver Police Department Communications Center and associated personnel respectfully request the CSA Board to seriously consider the suggested compensation and staffing proposals, thereby validating the job of emergency service personnel and the critical role they play in the community.
Ultimately avoiding the headlines and a 9-1-1 crisis in the City and County of Denver.
[1] U.S. News Cover Story, June 17, 1996
[2] Rocky Mt. News, November 17, 2000
[3] Chicago Tribune, November 10, 2000