911 is the one phone number, aside from 867-5309, every American knows by heart. Americans are taught from an early age when there is a crisis they can call 911 and the emergency service responders will be there to help them. However, many problems can affect a dispatcher’s ability to do their job which can end in disaster for the person on the other end of the line. The 911 dispatch centers, also known as public safety answering points or PSAPs do their best, but sometimes these obstacles prevent people from getting the help they need and can even result in loss of life. One of these issues is with the outdated technology found within many PSAPS. In many instances, a caller will know their location and can communicate it to the 911 operator.
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In turn, the understaffing problem can be at least partially attributed to lack of funding. Almost everyone pays a “9-1-1 service fee” as part of their phone bill. This money is then used to help fund 911 dispatch centers. Except this is not necessarily true. “The FCC’s fee reports show that since 2008, at least 20 states [including California] have diverted those dollars elsewhere. . . New York state, which has seen multiple breakdowns in its 9-1-1 systems, took in over $185 million dollars in fees in 2014, but then diverted $77 million into the state’s general fund where it could be spent on pretty much anything” (911). The problem does not necessarily lie with not raising enough in funds, but rather with the fact that a huge portion of that money may get diverted away from the 911 dispatch centers that desperately need it. This lack of funds makes it difficult to hire more workers and to keep dispatchers they already have. 911 operators work long hours in an incredibly stressful …show more content…
“The Impact of Information Technology on Emergency Health Care Outcomes.” The RAND Journal of Economics, vol. 33, no. 3, 2002, pp. 399–432. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3087465. Accessed 10 Nov. 2017.
Fitts, Alexis Sobel. “When 911 Operators Can’t Find Their Callers.” The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/when-911-operators-cant-find-their-callers/416730. Accessed 4 Nov. 2017.
Low, Rob. “Employee: Staff shortage impacts Denver 911 dispatch response times.” FOX News Denver, 10 Aug. 2016, kdvr.com/2016/08/10/employee-staff-shortage-impacts-denver-911-dispatch-response-times. Accessed 11 Nov. 2017.
McEldowney, Ken. “Quick FCC fix to 911 could save lives.” The Hill, 4 Nov. 2014, thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/222672-quick-fcc-fix-to-911-could-save-lives. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.
“911.” Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 12, HBO, 15 May 2016. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XlyB_QQYs.
Whalen, Jack, and Don H. Zimmerman. “Observations on the Display and Management of Emotion in Naturally Occurring Activities: The Case of ‘Hysteria’ in Calls to 9-1-1.” Social Psychology Quarterly, vol. 61, no. 2, 1998, pp. 141–159. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2787066. Accessed 10 Nov.
In turn, the understaffing problem can be at least partially attributed to lack of funding. Almost everyone pays a “9-1-1 service fee” as part of their phone bill. This money is then used to help fund 911 dispatch centers. Except this is not necessarily true. “The FCC’s fee reports show that since 2008, at least 20 states [including California] have diverted those dollars elsewhere. . . New York state, which has seen multiple breakdowns in its 9-1-1 systems, took in over $185 million dollars in fees in 2014, but then diverted $77 million into the state’s general fund where it could be spent on pretty much anything” (911). The problem does not necessarily lie with not raising enough in funds, but rather with the fact that a huge portion of that money may get diverted away from the 911 dispatch centers that desperately need it. This lack of funds makes it difficult to hire more workers and to keep dispatchers they already have. 911 operators work long hours in an incredibly stressful …show more content…
“The Impact of Information Technology on Emergency Health Care Outcomes.” The RAND Journal of Economics, vol. 33, no. 3, 2002, pp. 399–432. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3087465. Accessed 10 Nov. 2017.
Fitts, Alexis Sobel. “When 911 Operators Can’t Find Their Callers.” The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/when-911-operators-cant-find-their-callers/416730. Accessed 4 Nov. 2017.
Low, Rob. “Employee: Staff shortage impacts Denver 911 dispatch response times.” FOX News Denver, 10 Aug. 2016, kdvr.com/2016/08/10/employee-staff-shortage-impacts-denver-911-dispatch-response-times. Accessed 11 Nov. 2017.
McEldowney, Ken. “Quick FCC fix to 911 could save lives.” The Hill, 4 Nov. 2014, thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/222672-quick-fcc-fix-to-911-could-save-lives. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.
“911.” Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 12, HBO, 15 May 2016. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XlyB_QQYs.
Whalen, Jack, and Don H. Zimmerman. “Observations on the Display and Management of Emotion in Naturally Occurring Activities: The Case of ‘Hysteria’ in Calls to 9-1-1.” Social Psychology Quarterly, vol. 61, no. 2, 1998, pp. 141–159. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2787066. Accessed 10 Nov.