APD Zone 2 Fangirl Report – Cameras And The VIC

It’s that time again, the day after Citizens Police Academy and this time we went to see the 911 call and video integration center where all those private sector cameras tie in.  I am starting to see some common themes already: a huge emphasis on training, significant understaffing, and crappy pay.

Let’s start with some amazing 2021 stats:

• In 2021, 911 communications answered 1,007,777 separate calls. WOW!
• The operator who logged the highest number of calls answered 38,000 calls in 2021. (And you think your kids are on the phone a lot!)
• 86% of calls were answered in 20 seconds or less.

Here are a few AH-HA things I want to share: 

• First – the center operates on what they call a “horizontal model” which to you and me means the 911 operators talk to us and the dispatchers (who you never know is there) is behind the scenes sending the EMS, fire, and/or police. This is important – it means that the time the operator is spent talking to us getting information does not delay the response time – it has already been sent over to the dispatch team without u seven knowing it.
• Answer the questions they ask you – they have an order that allows them to work efficiently. Be ready to give them your address, cross streets, or business name immediately, then to tell them what type of service you need and then what is going on.
• This one is probably obvious to some of you but wasn’t to me… you can text 911. So, all you Millennials and Gen-Zers who hate talking on the phone can have it your way too!
• Multitasking – for those of you that think you are great at multitasking; I would put you up against one of these operators ANY DAY. Each station has at least 5 different screens filled with info to keep track of, a phone, a pedal, a headset, and a keyboard that probably gets worn out monthly.
• There is such a thing as a 911 nuisance call – yes, the trolls are everywhere including here where they interfere with real life saving efforts… sigh.

Now, the key themes:

So, let’s start on training – just like I reported last week with the officers, Atlanta invests a HUGE amount of time training the 911 operators. They must be state certified, get through a criminal background check and pass a security and ethics screening before they even get to the 11 weeks of training followed by 10 weeks of on-the-job training. And after listening in on some of the calls, I totally understand why.  They must be ready to handle anything and everything. While listening in for about 30 minutes, I heard a woman reporting she was suicidal and needed help, reports of a group of juveniles vandalizing a community center, a guy having a seizure and a few accidents.

Folks – this job is hard. The skills required are many. And the pay is crap. The starting salary is $38- $42.5K.  That’s $18 per hour. My son who is 16 is making $14 per hour making burritos! I know Atlanta is a food city, but that isn’t right.

Understaffing – now I know why I hear about people having to hold on 911 – they are severely understaffed. They need 130 positions and currently have 35 vacancies. If you are reading this and need a job and have nerves of steel, they need you and are desperate to have you. Go apply now – please!

The bottom line is this – when you call 911 you can be confident that you are talking to someone who is doing their best to help you and is trained to do it right. Help them help you.