Q&A
Challenges faced by 911 dispatchers and available wellness resources
0:31:56
ยท
3 min
Council Member De La Rosa raises concerns about the challenges faced by 911 dispatchers, including high vacancy rates, excessive overtime, and stress. Daniel Pollock discusses efforts to address these issues and provide support.
- Concerns about 911 calls going to voicemail and dispatchers working 16+ hour shifts
- Ongoing focus on improving conditions for 911 operators, including a compressed work week pilot
- No specific stress management programs for 911 dispatchers, but potential to explore options through EAP and WorkWell programs
- Challenges in providing wellness resources due to high overtime demands
- Recognition of the need for targeted outreach to ensure 911 dispatchers can access available resources
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:31:56
In terms of the, requirements for attendance, one of the things that was very, jarring for the committee was last time when d z 37, actually testified before the committee, and they testified that 911 calls were going to voicemail.
0:32:11
That is an urgent problem, and that, 911 dispatchers were working overtime to the tune of 16 plus hours.
0:32:20
That is something that obviously raised a lot of flags with the committee members, And I was wondering if you had the number 1, if you had the numbers on what is the vacancy rate for 911 dispatchers?
0:32:31
And, 2, is this, bonus that is, in in correlation with absence, taking into account how much overtime these workers are expected to work?
0:32:43
So, for example, if they're working an overtime shift and they decide they gotta leave early for whatever reason, is that being counted against them for the bonuses?
Daniel Pollock
0:32:53
Thank you for those questions.
0:32:55
So I do not I'm not aware of the vacancy rate.
0:32:58
You know, NYPD, would certainly be aware of that.
0:33:02
I will say that, you know, we have been really focused on this at OLR.
0:33:06
We have been working on 91 operators for, many years now.
0:33:10
One thing that we've had going for a number of years is a compressed work week pilot for them that started, I think, 3 or 4 years ago, predating the larger compressed work agreement.
0:33:20
We've made a number of modifications through the years.
0:33:23
We've increased the number of people who are on the compressed schedule.
0:33:27
We just extended that again for another 6 month period.
0:33:32
And, you know, we so like I said, we've been very involved with that unit.
0:33:35
We know that there are challenges there.
0:33:36
We know it's a really tough job.
0:33:38
We know there's excessive overtime, high absence rates, and it is something that we are looking to improve.
0:33:45
In terms of the attendance threshold, it doesn't really count overtime.
Megan Chambers
0:33:49
Okay.
Daniel Pollock
0:33:49
So it doesn't, you know, count overtime for or against you.
0:33:52
If you, you know, don't work an overtime shift or only work part of a shift because you have to, you know, go home, sit or something, that doesn't count against you.
0:34:00
It really only counts your regular shift.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:34:01
Mhmm.
Daniel Pollock
0:34:02
And the other thing I'll say is we did bring down for the prior year, we brought down the thresholds we initially had just to, you you know, recognizing it was a tough year
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:34:10
Interesting.
Daniel Pollock
0:34:11
Yeah.
0:34:11
And that, you know, so some more people should be eligible for the bonus than initially were.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:34:16
Thank you.
0:34:17
I have a few more questions.
0:34:18
I just wanna recognize that, council member Dynowicz has joined us on Zoom as well.
0:34:23
In terms of the 911 dispatchers, last question on this, I hope, but, is are they being provided some of that stress and wellness packaging that you spoke about with some of your other bargaining?
0:34:36
Because it seems to me like this is a workforce that is highly stressed due to the nature of their job.
Daniel Pollock
0:34:42
Well, it's, there's nothing specific for them, but, you know, it's something we'll certainly explore, you know, with both our director of EAP as well as WorkWell.
0:34:50
I will say the the person who runs the WorkWell program has also been kind of one of the point people involved in the compressed work week pilot.
0:34:56
So Okay.
0:34:57
You know, we definitely know that there's a need there.
0:35:00
I think one of the challenges is, you know, when for a job where there's a lot of overtime, sometimes there's not even necessarily time for those other things.
0:35:07
So we do need to reach out them and really make an effort to get them to to use those resources.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:35:12
Okay.
0:35:12
Thank you.