30% of Wake emergency dispatcher jobs are unfilled

There is always someone to answer emergency and non-emergency calls for service in Raleigh thanks to the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center.

However, the center has 39 vacancies among 129 total jobs. It means 30.2% of the positions at the 911 center need someone to fill them. It impacts more than 1 million people in Raleigh and Wake County.

“When we have increased vacancies, there is additional stress, and our team is working very diligently to work through these times,” said Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center Director Dominick Nutter.

Nutter said the starting pay for a telecommunicator is $44,538.

"That is a challenge that other centers pay more," Nutter said. "However, if you look at the city’s total compensation package, I think the total compensation package offsets what other centers may pay."

The 911 center isn’t alone in trying to address vacancies.

As of Thursday, data shows the city has 608 vacancies out of 4,383 total positions. It’s a 13.9% vacancy rate.

Compared to right before the outbreak of the pandemic, vacancy rates are up across the board for police, fire and emergency communications professionals in Raleigh.

Vacancy rates have risen in the city of Raleigh for public safety jobs. In January 2020, 4.64% of jobs were vacant. In January 2023, that number rose to 11.59%.

Raleigh District E City Council Member Christina Jones also mentioned how the city is paying new hires as people who have worked for the city for several years.

"We need to make sure we’re taking care of those who have been here for seven [or] eight years because having a first-year police officer [or] firefighter is not the same as having a third or fourth year with the experience," Jones said.

Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David has made it a top goal for this year to improve recruitment in public safety.

The city of Raleigh isn’t alone. The Durham 911 Center is also working to address staffing shortages, launching a new 911 Academy at Durham Technical Community College in July 2022.

In the last year, the city of Raleigh has offered sign-on, referral and rehire bonuses and adjusted the pay to compete with other 911 centers in the Triangle that paid more.

The Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center is making some headway in hiring. In April, the center saw 382 people – a record number – apply for 12 spots for the next call taker training academy.

During the last round of hiring in 2022, there were 215 applicants.

“That’s another 12 people, which should [nearly] cut our vacancy rate in half,” Nutter said.

Nutter promised someone will always be there to answer 911 calls. He explained the attributes he looks for in call center candidates.

“It’s someone who wants to make a difference in the community,” Nutter said. “That is the type of person who needs to step forward.”

The city started a new Public Safety Collaborative to bring people together from its different departments to address workforce issues.

Next month, we'll get a better idea of what type of compensation the city plans to offer workers to fill these jobs when Adams-David presents her budget for the next fiscal year.