Glendale police looking to hire more dispatchers to help reach national call standards

Glendale has 30 full-time dispatchers. But the city is looking to hire more to meet national call standards.

The Glendale Police Department is 10 dispatchers short of where it needs to be.

The Police Department wants to hire four more full-time dispatchers to help improve the city’s response times to both emergency and non-emergency calls, but also so its employees can have the chance to take a break and recharge if needed.

But finding people who want to be a dispatcher and who want to stay a dispatcher are two different things.

"I think for a lot of people, it sounds interesting to them," says Michaelanne Acree, police communications manager for Glendale police, "And when they get here, it's maybe not exactly what they expected."

The job comes with an intense technical and mental nine-month training process and can be very stressful, according to Acree. Glendale hired 13 trainees in 2022, but four were released, she said. Also that year, a state report found that Glendale is second in 911 calls per working dispatcher behind Phoenix Fire, Acree said.

This issue of not finding people who stay is being faced not only by Glendale, but it is also an issue throughout the state and nationwide, she said.

In Maricopa County, Glendale Police Department takes the fourth spot for the volume of 911 calls received, behind Phoenix Police Department, Mesa Police Department, and Phoenix Fire, according to Acree.

In addition to its 30 full-timers, the department has four part-time dispatchers and four supervisors. For Glendale’s department to function, the minimum number of full-time dispatchers needed is 30, Acree said. Even though that is the number Glendale currently has, Acree said for the 30 to function, they would need to be fully trained dispatchers — some of the current full-timers are still in various stages of training.

To fill in those gaps, other dispatchers have been working overtime to make sure the department can be successful in assisting community members, Acree said.

But those working overtime need mental health and vacation days — and the department does not want to have to continue to pay overtime to make sure shifts are covered. Acree said the department ideally should have about 40 fully trained, full-time dispatchers to meet the call standards set out by the National Emergency Number Association.

Right now, Glendale's goal of answering a 911 call is 10 seconds. However, dispatchers also handle the police department's non-emergency calls.

So, if there is ever a staff shortage during the busy hours of the day, that 10-second standard may not be met and people experiencing an emergency might be left waiting, in panic, and might hang up.

Then, dispatchers have to try and track them down, which could further delay the caller from receiving assistance.

Acree stressed that anyone who calls 911 should stay on the line, even if they have to wait. Calls are answered in the order they are received, so if a caller hangs up and calls again, they might not be helping themselves.

If Glendale had more dispatchers though, the department would be able to ensure that their staff can get to a call right away. More full-time dispatchers will improve response times for requests for service, Acree said.

Acree said she doesn't know the specific reason that hiring has lagged. She did say that the past couple years in a post-COVID-19 world may have led people to not be attracted to the profession because of what it demands. Other reasons might be that people with families might not want to be in the job because they work nights, weekends, and holidays, she said.

"It's shift work, and people have emergencies every day, 24 hours a day," Acree said.

Glendale starts with about three weeks of classroom training. Trainees learn the geography of the city, radio codes, policies and procedures, and get their initial certifications. But after that comes getting to know the job through 12-hour shifts with a trainer. And that's where things might get tricky for trainees, especially after emergency calls.

"Sometimes that ends up being stressful for people to handle and sometimes they're not the right fit for their skill set," Acree said. On top of dealing with what may have just happened on an emergency call, dispatchers have to work with at least six different screens and other technology while taking a call, she said.

Given that a lot of stress can be experienced, Glendale provides an employee wellness program with an assigned ambassador that reaches out to employees after critical incidents, a peer support team who look out for those who might be struggling all throughout the Glendale Police Department, and the city's own employee assistance program has resources.

And as of nearly six months ago, the department has another resource — Mika, the support dog.

"She really helps with people's stress, because, she's a dog. People like to pet dogs and she loves to be there and get treats. She provides a good outlet for us," Acree said.

Glendale is looking for dispatchers who want to help other people, Acree said. She goes on to say that dispatchers should be inquisitive, professional, communicative, and people who enjoy fast-paced environments.

For those wanting to become a dispatcher, Glendale's current pay range starts at $47,091.98 to $70,638.10 ($22.64 - $33.96 hourly), according to Acree.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Glendale police hiring dispatchers to meet call standards