Washington D.C. offers $800 bonus to 911 staff amid staffing crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES — Washington D.C.’s 911 is addressing its staffing crisis at its 911 call center by offering $800 monthly bonuses to employees who show up for all their scheduled shifts.
The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) director, Heather McGaffin, announced this incentive in an email to staff on Tuesday morning.
“Staffing is crucial to the success of our agency. Unscheduled call outs of all kinds are up and causing a hardship for fellow employees who are continuously getting stuck, coming in early, and being asked to come in on days off,” she continued.
“The pilot is simple- show up for each shift you’re assigned and receive $800 additional for the month. We start today for August.”
Staffing shortages reach critical levels
The bonus offer comes on the heels of a report revealing that the agency fell short of minimum staffing levels 88% of the time last month. This staffing crisis has led to increased workloads for present employees and potential risks for emergency response times.
Adding to the staffing woes, the OUC has experienced technical difficulties.
The 911 computer system has gone offline six times this year, with the most recent outage lasting 20 minutes.
A more severe two-hour outage occurred two weeks ago, during which a D.C. family attempted to call 911 for their 5-month-old child in medical distress, but was unable to get through. The child later passed away.
City official demands accountability
Council Member Charles Allen has been vocal about the issues facing the OUC, describing the situation as a “crisis.”
In a statement, Allen criticized the agency’s leadership and the D.C. government’s response.
“Not a week goes by that I don’t have a constituent reach out who couldn’t get through, had to wait a long time for first responders to be dispatched in an emergency, or had the wrong – or no – response arrive on scene.”
Allen further argued that the $800 incentive for showing up to work underscores the severity of the problem, indicating a need for changes within the agency.
