'Someone is eventually going to die waiting on hold for Austin 911': Pressure builds for 911 operator staffing

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- More viewers are reaching out to KXAN as emergency calls go unanswered for too long.

The Austin Police Department is still seeing a major staffing shortage with 911 call-takers and dispatchers.

Monday, they told KXAN they're down 23 dispatchers of 75 allotted staff, and down 49 911 operators out of 105 positions.

More people tell KXAN they're getting put on hold during emergencies, and are demanding change.

Three months into being a new mom, Marianne Nitsch found herself one of the people to experience that -- amid a life-threatening moment.

Home alone with her newborn, she accidentally ate something she was allergic to.

"I was starting to have trouble breathing, and my the back of my throat was was closing," she recalled. "When something like that happens, I know I'm starting to have a really serious... system wide reaction."

With her baby in her arms, she quickly put him down in a secure place.

"So that if something happened to me, he would he wouldn't be in harm's way," Nitsch said.

She then injected herself with an epi-pen, and called 911. She said an automated message greeted her, telling her to stay on hold.

"I sat on hold for what felt like at least a couple minutes, maybe up to maybe five," Nitsch said. "I was worried... I was going to pass out or lose consciousness before I had the opportunity to tell somebody what was going on and tell them I needed help."

"I was worried... I was going to pass out or lose consciousness before I had the opportunity to tell somebody what was going on and tell them I needed help."

Marianne Nitsch, experienced 911 hold

Austin Police told KXAN that when there's no operator available to take a call, it sits in a queue and is transferred immediately to the next available call-taker. They didn't tell us how long, on average, that could be.

Nitsch said once an operator got to her, they sent EMS right away, and she was treated promptly.

But she wants to share her experience to pressure leaders into making change.

"I just hope to draw attention to the issue and that the city council and city managers will make sure to give this issue the appropriate attention and priority it needs... The first responders who have helped me were great, but they they need help from from the city to be able to help people who are in life or death situations," Nitsch said.

Deborah Lozano wanted to use her nearly 20 years of experience in customer service call centers to help answer the call for more 911 operators.

"When I saw the stories on KXAN... I was like, you know, they really need help. And I'm looking for a job. And so, why not? Yeah, let's see if I can, you know, be a part of the solution here," she said.

But she said the application process was "humongous," "long," and "daunting."

The job posting indicates that the applicant needs to get two state certifications within six-months and one-year of employment. It also requires a skills assessment test, interview panel and psychological assessment and interview.

"I feel like at this time, when we need call-takers, there should be a simpler process; maybe hire people temporarily, for a while," Lozano said.

She thinks APD should review requirements for 911 operators during this staffing shortage, just like they did to get more APD cadets by recently changing requirements for physical testing, marijuana use, and debt.

"I get it, you know, there's rules and... regulations and all of that stuff. But I just think that, you know, there's a way to incorporate that without throwing it at someone all at once," she said.

KXAN has asked APD if they're considering changing any application requirements to be a 911 call-taker or dispatcher. They haven't yet responded.

The mayor's office said they share concerns about 911 wait times and are requesting an APD briefing with more data.

APD's moves, so far

The police department has been trying to tackle their 911 staffing issue in a few ways.

Last month, a pay increase went into effect for both 911 call takers and dispatchers by about two to three dollars for an entry-level position.

APD has also started allowing sworn employees to pick up 911 calls on their days off for overtime pay.

APD said it was an “unconventional solution” to the issue of vacancies within the call center.

A department spokesperson told KXAN it was a temporary fix and not a preferred method of filling those vacancies.

Finally, in August, APD lowered the minimum number of 911 call-takers required per shift.

They told us that was so they could ease the mandatory overtime those workers were putting in and to reduce the risk of even more workers quitting.

“It was a very difficult decision because obviously there are consequences,” Lieutenant Ken Murphy, who heads APD’s Emergency Communications Division, told KXAN at the time. “People calling 911 are not going to get the immediate response they deserve to receive. This is not the service we want to provide, this is not the service our operators want to provide. However, it’s necessary, again to retain our staff.”

According to a city memo last month, APD is supposed to report back to city council at the end of the year on the impact of all their efforts and their progress of recruiting and reducing their vacancy rate.

That briefing, the memo stated, will include information on the number of people applying for operator and dispatch jobs, "the number hired, the vacancy rate, the impact of salary increases and stipends, compression issues, and any other challenges addressed."

You can find the application to be a 911 operator or dispatcher here. Just type in "call taker" or "operator" into the key word box.