A shortage of dispatchers across the country is leaving more 911 callers being placed on hold -- in the middle of emergencies.
Vargas oversees the department’s communication. He showed us around one the LAPD's two dispatch centers. He says the state of California mandates that 95% of 911 calls be picked up in 15 seconds or less, but Captain Vargas admits they often fall short of that mandate, including just the day before we spoke with him. While we were at the dispatch center, we also witnessed some callers who didn't wait at all and one who held for almost a minute.
Captain Vargas admits the problem is getting worse, but adds he doesn't believe at this point the wait times are putting lives in danger. Gary Ludwig, who is a former president of the International Fire Chiefs association, says it's a troubling trend affecting all areas of the country. He says a combination of burnout, COVID-19 and the great resignation is fueling a shortage of dispatchers and creating longer hold times.
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