In response to an escalating crisis of 911 emergency call-takers walking off the job and leaving emergency calls unanswered, the Broward County Commission on Tuesday authorized millions of dollars to hike salaries of existing workers and raise salaries as a hiring incentive.
The move for the newly allotted $4 million comes after sheriff’s officials said they can’t fill an empty 90 positions — or even keep the 911 call-takers they already have — which has meant sometimes dire outcomes for Broward residents calling for help during their emergencies.
“We have to do something right now,” urged Commissioner Steve Geller, adding “nobody told us this was an issue” from the Sheriff’s Office, which handles the 911 calls for the county.
Read more from our news partner, the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
