Emergency communicators—professionals representing the first connection to emergency response—do all they can with available resources to answer every call at the moment the public reaches out for their help.

Unfortunately, 9-1-1 overload sometimes makes it difficult for even the most well-equipped, well-staffed PSAP to keep up with high call volume. A growing problem that plagues PSAP professionals throughout the country, 9-1-1 overload too often prevents calltakers from promptly assisting people in dire need of lifesaving support. Constant reminders appear in the news, on social networking sites and in the blogosphere.

In New Orleans, the Times-Picayune reported in May that “the city’s new 9-1-1 call center is understaffed, falling far behind the national average in response time, and callers sometimes must wait several minutes to reach an operator.” According to the report, the volume of calls in some months topped 60,000.(1)

But understaffing alone cannot be blamed for 9-1-1 overload. Other operational impacts, such as budget constraints, outdated technology and multiple cell phone callers reporting the same emergency incident also play a significant role.

When a Peoria, Ariz., woman called 9-1-1 to report a car accident she had witnessed in June 2010, the last thing she expected was to have to wait for a 9-1-1 telecommunicator.(2)

“It’s not uncommon after a car accident in metropolitan Phoenix for 10 or more people to call 9-1-1,” says Liz Graeber, administrator for Maricopa County’s 9-1-1 system. “During busy periods, the lines at a dispatch center could all be taken. Consequently, people sometimes have to wait or are put on hold.”
The 9-1-1 overload problem is made worse by non-emergency and fraudulent calls that tie up phone lines and calltakers.

During the massive dust storm that struck the Phoenix area in early July, hundreds of people called 9-1-1 simply to report the storm, says Graeber. Adding to the call volume, hundreds more called with non-emergencies.

“Too many people fail to distinguish a real emergency from a non-emergency,” she says. “When residents call 9-1-1 to report a weather event, it may prevent someone with a real emergency from getting through.”

In California, as many as 45% of the more than 8 million cell phone calls to 9-1-1 each year are for non-emergencies.(3)

According to 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA) statistics, more than 260 million calls were made to 9-1-1 in 2010. This figure represents a greater than 35% increase over 1999, when NENA reports that approximately 190 million 9-1-1 calls were placed.

In some parts of the country, as many as 70% of 9-1-1 calls are made by people using cell phones.
“The proliferation of cell phones continues to drive up 9-1-1 call volume,” says Richard Taylor, president of the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA). “Worldwide, handset sales exceed 1 billion every year, making mobile phones the most widely used consumer electronics device and the way more and more people choose to communicate.”

Statistics tracking 9-1-1 overload data are not available, but a large number of wireless calls are placed on hold, get a busy signal or fail to make it through to a PSAP calltaker. Non-initialized wireless phones, originally meant to provide underprivileged people and those without access to a cell phone with the ability to call 9-1-1, are also contributing to the problem. A recent news story cited a PSAP in Tennessee that fielded more than 10,000 fraudulent 9-1-1 calls from non-initialized phones over three months.(4)

To address the growing problem of 9-1-1 overload, 9IA is hosting a National Workshop on 9-1-1 Overload Oct. 4–5 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C.
The workshop includes sponsorship from CTIA and is being co-hosted by APCO, NENA, the E9-1-1 Institute and NASNA. It will feature prominent speakers, working sessions and panel discussions intended to drive a national dialogue to help alleviate 9-1-1 overload situations, including:

• Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett (ret.), Chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
• Blair Sutherland- Director of Communications, Massachusetts State Police
• Liz Graeber – 9-1-1 Administrator, City of Phoenix
• Teddy Kavaleri – Acting Director, Washington DC Office of Unified Communications (9-1-1, 3-1-1)
• Matt Rechkemmer, E9-1-1 Program Manager, Lee County, FL

“The workshop will help us gain a better understanding of the problem and how to fix it,” says 9IA Chairman Kevin Murray. “9-1-1 overload is a complex issue that to solve will certainly require increased funding, more staffing and today’s NG9-1-1 technology and services.”

For more information about the National Workshop on 9-1-1 Overload, visit www.911alliance.org.

REFERENCES
1.    McCarthy B. New Orleans 911 calls languish for minutes because of short staffing, report says. Times Picayune. May 3, 2011.
2.    Quizon D. Maricopa County official: 911 operators can’t always pick up immediately. The Arizona Republic. Sept. 29, 2010.
3.    Johnson A. 9-1-1 system choking on non-emergency calls. MSNBC. Aug. 5, 2008.
4.    Luna L. A good deed gone bad. Urgent Communications. Sept. 1, 2008. ,PSC,