Answering the call: Ingham County 911 faces critical staffing shortage

MASON, Mich. (WILX) -When someone calls 911, someone has to answer. But across the country, those “someones” are in short supply.

In Ingham County, the 911 director says he’s dealing with a staffing crisis, operating at about 30% below the target staffing level. The people filling that gap are paying the price.

The people who answer 911 calls and send help right away are the first first responders.

When former Michigan State University assistant basketball coach Mike Garland’s heart stopped beating, Ingham County dispatcher Julia Jordan became a member of what he calls his survival team.

“Because of you guys and all that you do here, you know, I’m able to be here speaking with you. Have a second chance at life. It’s great,” Garland said.

Jordan is one of the full-time dispatchers working mandatory overtime in a 911 center that takes up to 600 calls a day.

Andy Daenzer is the director. He says the biggest challenge isn’t finding applicants — it’s finding the right ones.

“We have had a good number of applicants, but finding the right ones — the ones that can get through a background, a sit-along, an interview, and then training — that’s the biggest piece,” Daenzer said.

Two national emergency dispatch groups surveyed the country in 2023 and found this is an alarming trend.

Nationally, one in four 911 positions sat vacant between 2019 and 2022 because of burnout, low pay and mandatory overtime. 911 centers can’t train people fast enough to keep up. But in Ingham County, they’ve shortened the training using new technology.

Cody Page has been answering calls in Ingham County for nine years. He says it takes a special kind of person.

“It’s an up and down adrenaline level. We like to call it the roller coaster. You can go from taking a CPR call to taking a parking complaint the very next time,” Page said. “So we have to look for those special people. And they may not know they’re that special person.”

He says a new training program is working. What used to be a year is now down to under six months.

“Almost better because we’re using a little bit of AI here and there to help with our training program now,” Page said.

Short-staffed or not, the calls don’t stop.

“We have to dig ourselves out of this hole first and get to a place where there’s just a handful of openings. And that’ll be easier to keep up with,” Daenzer said.

For dispatcher Julia Jordan, that push is personal. 27 years in, and she’s not leaving anytime soon.

“Every day is different. It’s never a boring job, and we get to help people no matter what,” Jordan said.

911 call taker Bobby Booker is also a member of Mike Garland’s survival team. She took the call that saved his life, then drove nearly 40 miles just to hear him speak.

“You know, you did that on your own. You know, on your own, and that was amazing. I mean, it tells me that you really care about the job that you do,” Garland said.

“I really do. It is nice to be able to help,” Booker said.

The goal is to grow from nearly 30 full-time dispatchers to 52, with starting pay of $24 an hour, topping out at $33. Dispatchers can also earn more through overtime, training and shift pay.

To apply for a job with Ingham 911, or to learn more, click here.

Stream News 10 on your favorite devices! Here’s how to download the WILX app on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV.

Be the first to see the Mid-Michigan headlines you care about – download the News 10 mobile app and subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather.