DC 911 call center holds public meeting to address staffing concerns

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) in charge of D.C.’s 911 calls hosted an open meeting about its current staffing on Friday.

OUC Director Heather McGaffin said there has been an increased demand for 911 services. McGaffin and the 911 center have both come under fire for dropped calls and long response times.

“D.C. 911 is not in crisis,” said McGaffin. “We have been outpaced and we have been overtaxed and so we are making improvements to make sure that we can keep up with the demand that this city has on this system so that we are providing the best care for all of the residents, visitors and businesses here.”

McGaffin said the OUC was able to increase staffing by offering attendance and hiring bonuses, but some lawmakers said that the problem was still present.

The issues prompted Councilmember Brooke Pinto to introduce legislation to improve performance, transparency, and accountability.

“This July alone, we only had 13% of our shifts that met the minimum staffing ratios that they were supposed to,” Pinto said.

OUC said it will work to improve staffing levels by offering attendance and hiring bonuses.

It will also improve its notification processes, training and technology — as well as have 31 new trainees support 911 operations.

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