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Philadelphia City Council members toured the city’s 911 center at police headquarters to learn about a number of improvements implemented in recent months. While some progress has been made, city leaders admit there is still work to be done to help dispatchers.
Call center workers who are members of AFSCME’s District Council 33 received a 5% raise over other city employees. The increase over other Philadelphia employees is because their pay was so far below what dispatchers in the suburbs get. This disparity led to high turnover among city dispatchers, who often left for better jobs outside the city.
Gordon Zimmitt is president of the union’s Local 1637, representing the men and women who work in the call center. He said they make $10,000 less than comparable workers in other police departments outside the city. These workers in the suburbs also have fewer calls.
The 911 dispatcher’s problems came into the spotlight last summer when a man was shot and killed on South 56th Street on July 2. Police were mistakenly dispatched to North 56th Street instead. The victim’s body was not discovered until 24 hours later, when the suspected killer returned to the South 56th Street crime scene and killed four more people, including a 15-year-old boy.
“When people call 911, they are most likely experiencing the most traumatic and frightening moments of their lives,” said Council Member Jamie Gauthier. “We have a responsibility to make sure they get the help they need.”
She said the council had provided additional funding this year to give workers a pay rise.
“At the hearing last year, the Public Safety Committee identified several measures that would help this call center operate more efficiently. These include bringing dispatcher salaries in line with the regional average, creating career opportunities for experienced dispatchers and also process changes,” Gauthier said.
She believes that significant changes have been made since the mistake last summer.
“Philadelphia residents can rest assured that our emergency call center has never been better equipped to provide professional and responsive service to each and every caller,” she said. “We have proven to the community of Kingsessing and residents across the city that we work hard to maintain their trust.”
