Fulton 911 Center 25-30% Understaffed

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Fulton County's 911 Call Center has been understaffed by more than 25% since last year. That's what the former director of the center told county commissioners today at their regular meeting.

Alfred Rocky Moore told commissioners that as of December 31st of last year, 33 of the 111 positions in the department were vacant:

MOORE: This year, we're no better off. We have 35 vacancies.

Moore said turnover has been higher than usual because several new cities in the county have created their own 911 centers.

David Shrader, an expert who heads a consulting firm for emergency medical services, says he's rarely seen a vacancy rate that high:

SHRADER: To understaff a communications center by 25-33% is equivalent to political malpractice. It's underserving the public.

Earlier this month, a Johns Creek woman died after a Fulton County 911 operator mishandled her call. The County announced this week that an Oregon-based consulting group will audit the communications center, to investigate their operation.