Oakland’s 911 dispatch center gets first upgrade in 20 years

OAKLAND, Calif. ( KRON ) — The City of Oakland announced the first completed upgrade to its 911 dispatch in 20 years. Inside Oakland’s 911 call center, dispatchers are using new computer software while responding to emergency calls.

It’s an upgrade Mayor Sheng Thao said will increase pickup call times. According to Mayor Thao, the city’s goal is to meet the state’s standard that 90 percent of calls to emergency dispatch centers must be answered within 15 seconds.

According to the City of Oakland, the new software is the first computer upgrade the call center has seen in 20 years.

On Thursday, the mayor talked about hiring more dispatchers, a challenge the city has faced for years. The mayor said the city is funded for 78 positions. So far, 69 positions have been filled. Twenty of them are trainees and partnered with a senior staffer.

Currently, there are nine vacancies.

According to the city, funding for the new software is from an existing budget. That also includes hiring more dispatchers who now have the tools to help increase 911 pickup times.

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