PHOENIX — A letter reveals that Phoenix city leaders were made aware of 911 call center understaffing and the toll it can take on employees months before the death of 911 operator Pamela Cooper.
The letter, obtained by 12 News, explains conditions for 911 operators and other civilian employees are "less than desirable," even "inadequate" due to understaffing.
It details that dispatchers will often work on off days and have to bid for vacation time a year out. It also notes the city “struggles” to find qualified candidates and meet minimum staffing required for the 24/7 emergency lines.
The letter was written by a workgroup made up of different employees within the city, including dispatchers, and some outside entities like a health psychologist.
The letter says the workgroup met for several months prior to writing the letter to created sustainable solutions to problems understaffing can create. The letter was sent in May 2020, about 10 months before Cooper died at the hospital.
"It’s hard. I still can’t believe it happened," says Cooper's husband Joel.
Joel says his wife Pamela was a testament to a troubled workplace. He said that she and her colleagues regularly had to work mandated overtime to fill gaps in staffing. A union representing Phoenix dispatchers confirms that earlier this month, 911 operators were typically working at least 8 extra hours per week.
Pamela returned to work in late February after battling COVID-19. The week she went back, she was mandated to work a nearly 16-hour shift, despite not feeling well. Her family says she told a supervisor she was sick but she was mandated to work anyway. The following morning, Pamela was rushed to the hospital and put on life support. She died about a week later in early March.
"I keep waiting for her to come in the door any second and complain about her work," Joel says sadly. "I’d take that in a second right now."
As of last week, the City of Phoenix says they’re down more than 43 police dispatchers. The city says they've lost 11 police operators since the start of 2021.
"When you are required to work mandatory overtime in large amounts and are unable to take time off, mentally and physically it puts a toll on your body," says April Heinze.
Heinze is the 911 and PSAP Operations Director for NENA, The 911 Association. She's spent nearly 3 decades in public safety, even running a call center herself.
She says it's tough to tell if understaffing can be avoided. She explains that you can plan for some departures, like retirements but other things, like illnesses, are unpredictable. Understaffing is a problem some call centers face nationwide.
"Once you get really behind, it’s very difficult to be caught up," she says.
There's not a quick fix to the problem. Even if the City of Phoenix hired for all their vacancies right away, it would still take about a year to train new recruits.
Heinze explains it's usually 911 operators doing the training, a situation made tougher by COVID-19.
"I know pre-COVID you’d be sitting right next to somebody to do this job," she says. "Now you have to have social distancing. How do you train?"
The letter to the City Manager's Office explains it's difficult to recruit quality candidates due to the nature of the job and offers recommendations for improving recruitment efforts.
Some efforts suggested include making the application process shorter and additional marketing for the positions, while asking the City to consider it offers lower salaries than other organizations.
In a response to questions about the May 2020 letter, a spokesperson for the City of Phoenix says: the 911 Civilian/Response Work Group was formed by in August of 2019 as a proactive approach to addressing recruitment challenges in our 911 emergency call centers. Under the direction of city leadership, the 911 Civilian/Response Work Group recommendations are in various stages of being finalized and/or implemented. To date, some of the recommendations have been fully implemented, such as increasing the number of counseling sessions available to 911 Operators/Dispatchers, implementation of a pet therapy program in Police Communications and revising the job announcements. Other items have been partially implemented, such as streamlining the hiring process, revising training to include training on somatic response and self-care, developing a civilian “career survival class” similar to one for sworn officers, as well some infrastructure improvements, such as improved lighting and building ‘quiet rooms’.
In a City Council meeting Tuesday, City leaders proposed to add 18 more 911 operator jobs with a budget surplus.
Earlier this month, the City says they increased starting salary for 911 operators by $3.10 as a way to try and recruit more candidates. A proposal to increase wages for all operators is scheduled to go before council next month.
As for Pamela Cooper's case, her husband filed a Notice of Claim against the City of Phoenix last week for $35 million. He also wants to see an independent investigation into her death.
"If they don’t take care of their staff, which is why they’re understaffed, it’s not going to get better," Joel tells.
The City of Phoenix says its HR Department is investigating the "situation" involving Pamela Cooper and couldn't comment any further.