A push to recruit more 911 call takers and dispatchers for the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department brought recruiters to Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley on Wednesday morning.There are 95 budgeted positions, with 26 currently unfilled.Shawnna Silvius, a former schoolteacher and current stay-at-home mom, is interested."I feel like I can make a difference. I have a pretty cool, calm head on my shoulders, and there are people out there who need to talk to someone who can get them the answers they need quickly and efficiently. I think there's really a need for this," she said.Silvius spoke to KCPD Assistant Communications Manager Tammy Bazzle about the possibilities."We're looking for good people, even if they've never done this job before. We encourage anyone who is interested and has a passion for helping people to apply for a call taker or dispatcher position," Bazzle said.Filling the open positions takes time because there is about a five-month training process."We want to ensure that we prepare people for the job and set them up for success so that they're ready to answer calls and help someone as soon as they call in," said KCPD Chief Stacey Graves. Graves also mentioned that KCPD is hiring part-time workers, including retirees, who are already trained to fill the gaps.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has tasked City Manager Brian Platt with developing a plan to merge the police and fire department 911 call centers to address this issue."I think anything that increases staffing or improves the performance or availability of someone to answer 911 calls for service is a priority for us. I've already met with the city manager and the fire chief, and we are all working together to ensure we can offer the best service possible," Graves said."I'm not so sure. I haven't thought about that in depth. We are a primary piece, so we do answer all of the incoming calls. It could alleviate some pressure because we do have to transfer calls to fire and EMS if someone has one of those emergencies. But I'm not totally sure how that would impact us overall," Bazzle said.Ariya Overall, a student at MCC Penn Valley and a certified nursing assistant, is considering applying for one of the open 911 jobs."I just wanted to broaden my career spectrum and further my career path. I don't know, it's just something different," Overall said.Last month, the average wait time for a KCPD 911 caller was two minutes and two seconds. According to industry standards, 95% of 911 calls should be answered within 15 seconds.
A push to recruit more 911 call takers and dispatchers for the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department brought recruiters to Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley on Wednesday morning.
There are 95 budgeted positions, with 26 currently unfilled.
Shawnna Silvius, a former schoolteacher and current stay-at-home mom, is interested.
"I feel like I can make a difference. I have a pretty cool, calm head on my shoulders, and there are people out there who need to talk to someone who can get them the answers they need quickly and efficiently. I think there's really a need for this," she said.
Silvius spoke to KCPD Assistant Communications Manager Tammy Bazzle about the possibilities.
"We're looking for good people, even if they've never done this job before. We encourage anyone who is interested and has a passion for helping people to apply for a call taker or dispatcher position," Bazzle said.
Filling the open positions takes time because there is about a five-month training process.
"We want to ensure that we prepare people for the job and set them up for success so that they're ready to answer calls and help someone as soon as they call in," said KCPD Chief Stacey Graves.
Graves also mentioned that KCPD is hiring part-time workers, including retirees, who are already trained to fill the gaps.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has tasked City Manager Brian Platt with developing a plan to merge the police and fire department 911 call centers to address this issue.
"I think anything that increases staffing or improves the performance or availability of someone to answer 911 calls for service is a priority for us. I've already met with the city manager and the fire chief, and we are all working together to ensure we can offer the best service possible," Graves said.
"I'm not so sure. I haven't thought about that in depth. We are a primary piece, so we do answer all of the incoming calls. It could alleviate some pressure because we do have to transfer calls to fire and EMS if someone has one of those emergencies. But I'm not totally sure how that would impact us overall," Bazzle said.
Ariya Overall, a student at MCC Penn Valley and a certified nursing assistant, is considering applying for one of the open 911 jobs.
"I just wanted to broaden my career spectrum and further my career path. I don't know, it's just something different," Overall said.
Last month, the average wait time for a KCPD 911 caller was two minutes and two seconds. According to industry standards, 95% of 911 calls should be answered within 15 seconds.