The Pulse of 911 2023

of 911 centers struggle with staffing shortages, rising to 93% in large centers

Eighty percent of centers also struggle to hire new employees. Staff burnout (33%) and an inability to hire enough people (41%) were the top staffing challenges, with turnover close behind at 21%. Respondents named the stress of the job as a reason people avoid the field, ranking it first or second 75% of the time. Low salary followed at 65%.

of 911 centers had a computer or phone outage in the past 12 months

Half of centers see high call volumes tied to specific incidents every day, and 84% see them multiple days a week. Misdials ranked first or second among challenges for 57% of respondents, ahead of call surges at 45% and inaccurate caller location at 38%. Fewer than half of centers had location services such as RapidSOS or Carbyne. On whether technology can ease staffing shortages, 38% said yes, 35% weren't sure, and 27% said no. Managers and directors were the most optimistic.

of 911 staff report at least one symptom of burnout

Fatigue (70%) and anxiety (56%) lead the list. More than 90% of employers provide some form of support, yet only 34% of employees use it, and just 18% of telecommunicators. Management ranked as the most stressful part of the job at 36%, ahead of the calls at 27%. Even so, 88% say they enjoy their work.

of 911 staff feel underprepared for an active shooter situation

One in four feel they lack training for mental health calls, and 18% are uncomfortable with civil disturbances or bias-related events. Between 10% and 15% say they lack training even for routine incidents like traffic accidents, medical calls, and structure fires. Only 44% feel adequately trained for most crises.