How officials are addressing Philadelphia 911 call center staffing concerns

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Changes are coming to the Philadelphia 911 system.

There will be pay raises for 911 dispatchers and adjustments to how calls are processed. It's all in an effort to improve safety for the public and conditions for 911 dispatchers.

The changes are the result of a police investigation that was sparked after a dispatcher responding to a call about a shooting sent police to the wrong address.

"Every day when they show up, there is someone in need of them," said Gordon Zimmitt, president of Local 1637.

That makes the margin of error razor-thin for a 911 dispatcher.

"No one calls to say, 'Thank you.' Everyone calls 911 to say 'help,'" said Zimmitt.

A new policy could ensure that help goes to the right place.

"Now when individuals call for assistance, the first thing they're asked by our dispatcher is, 'What is our location and is there a directional indicator,'" said Deputy Commissioner Krista Dahl-Campbell of the Philadelphia Police Department.

There will also now be supervisors calling residents back on a recorded line verifying information like the address of the emergency. It's a change sparked by an error in July 2023, when a resident called 911 to report a shooting in Kingsessing.

"A 911 dispatcher erroneously logged the crime scene as North 56th Street rather than South 56th Street," said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier who represents the 3rd District, which includes Kingsessing.

Investigators say, on that day, the suspect killed someone at South 56th Street. The next day, he returned to the area and killed four people. It sparked an investigation by police and a hearing by Councilmember Gauthier on the challenges 911 dispatchers face. One of them is pay, but now, dispatchers, who start at around $50,000 per year, are getting a raise.

We were able to get a 5% raise on top of the contractual raise, which elevated a 10% raise for the dispatchers," said Dahl-Campbell.

The higher pay could help Philadelphia hire more dispatchers as the city competes with surrounding areas that pay roughly $10,000 more. Another change could help keep already-working dispatchers in Philadelphia by creating upward mobility.

"We were able to get a test and a list for individuals that are interested in becoming a police dispatch supervisor," said Dahl-Campbell.

It would create a pathway to grow for 911 dispatchers who are often referred to as the city's first first responders.

"We have a lot of work to do to make sure the men and women in this room feel just as valued as the officers on the street because what they endure is substantial," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.

"We will keep doing everything we can to help you serve Philadelphia with excellence," said Councilmember Gauthier.

The 10% pay raises went into effect in July. The police department is also focused on mental health resources for dispatchers. Out of 360 dispatch positions, about 60 of them are still open. The department is actively hiring to fill those positions.