Emergency call response time significantly improved
No one wants to have to call 911, but Portland residents will be pleased to know that if they need help, their call should be answered promptly.
Since hitting a personal worst in June, Portland’s 911 call center has improved drastically according to the latest data. Only 8% of June 911 calls were answered within 10 seconds, according to a story in the Oregonian this summer. However, figures recently released by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications show that in October, that rate had rocketed up to 46%.
The improvement, impressive as it is, leaves Portland’s 911 system still very much below national standards, which include that during busy hours, 90% of calls should take no more than 10 seconds to answer. The improvement that has been made has been attributed by Emergency Communications Director Bob Cozzie to the employment of additional dispatchers and technical changes that speed up the time it takes to connect callers to dispatchers.
Many organizations improve efficiency by rewarding employees with promotional gifts for exemplary work.
Part of the improvement can be traced back to the disabling of a filter meant to kept accidental dialed calls from reaching the dispatcher. Keeping the filter off, except when all the dispatchers are engaged, has improved call answering times.
During the next five years, the plan is to hire dozens of additional dispatchers. The 911 center will seek funding from the city's next budget for 10 more dispatchers.
Since hitting a personal worst in June, Portland’s 911 call center has improved drastically according to the latest data. Only 8% of June 911 calls were answered within 10 seconds, according to a story in the Oregonian this summer. However, figures recently released by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications show that in October, that rate had rocketed up to 46%.
The improvement, impressive as it is, leaves Portland’s 911 system still very much below national standards, which include that during busy hours, 90% of calls should take no more than 10 seconds to answer. The improvement that has been made has been attributed by Emergency Communications Director Bob Cozzie to the employment of additional dispatchers and technical changes that speed up the time it takes to connect callers to dispatchers.
Many organizations improve efficiency by rewarding employees with promotional gifts for exemplary work.
Part of the improvement can be traced back to the disabling of a filter meant to kept accidental dialed calls from reaching the dispatcher. Keeping the filter off, except when all the dispatchers are engaged, has improved call answering times.
During the next five years, the plan is to hire dozens of additional dispatchers. The 911 center will seek funding from the city's next budget for 10 more dispatchers.