64% Vacancy Rate for a 911 Call Center

Imagine what that would mean for a 24-hour operational facility and for the staff who have to cover for people not being available. I personally don’t see how they can survive with that number of call-taker and dispatcher positions being unfilled.

See this story: “New Mexico Call Center at 64% Vacancy Rate Boosts Pay.”

A big piece of this challenge is incorporating new staff into the rotation, including making sure they are qualified to do the work and then not “burning them out” immediately with mandatory overtime. It brings a whole new dimension to the term “staffing shortage.”