Alberta 911 call centres understaffed; operators ‘hanging up’ on people

A paramedic shortage isn’t the only thing Alberta is dealing with, as staffing challenges also affect 911 call operators, leaving dispatch centres in ‘crisis mode.’

That’s according to Mike Parker, the president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents the call takers.

He says workers are so busy they have to disconnect calls and even hang up on people in order to answer others.

“The 911 communications officers are understaffed, overworked right now, to the point where they are using ‘urgent disconnect’ every day to hang up on your 911 call because there are unanswered 911 calls waiting,” said Parker.

“There’s just not enough flex in the system, there’s not enough people to take these calls, to take care of Albertans.”

In a statement, Alberta Health Services (AHS) says “EMS is continuing to manage a sustained increase in 911 calls.”

“In some cases, the increase is 30 per cent above pre-pandemic levels,” AHS adds.

It says Urgent Disconnect Protocol is used only when EMS is dealing with extremely high call volumes. The health authority notes the use of that protocol is up this year over the last, mirroring the increase in overall EMS call volume.

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According to AHS, the protocol instructs emergency call takers to stay on the line with those “experiencing certain medical conditions” and gather all required information before the call is ended. The person on the other end of the line is then told that other 911 calls need to be answered. They are urged to call back right away if the condition of the person experiencing the medical emergency changes.

“911 callers seeking EMS are never put on hold,” AHS says in an email to CityNews, adding “all 911 calls are answered by EMS Emergency Communications Officers (ECOs)” as soon as they are received.

AHS says staff illness and fatigue contribute to the need to enact the disconnect protocol.

Starting in August, new ECOs will be trained, with around 28 additional workers expected to be hired his summer.

But Parker has a warning.

“If we don’t start really taking a hard look at how to retain the people we have, this is going to continue. These are highly trained experts that are dealing with the most emergent issues. Hiring another 28? I don’t think that’s good enough but let’s see what happens,” said Parker.

“In those working conditions, they are significantly paid less than any other civilian communications officer in this province,” he added.