Minneapolis 911 call center offers signing bonuses as it seeks to fix staffing shortage
MINNEAPOLIS -- The very workers we dial during an emergency are the ones now calling for help. The 911 center in Minneapolis hopes to hire new employees to fix a staffing shortage.
It's the busiest dispatch facility in the entire Midwest, outside of Chicago. The Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center or MECC needs workers to keep up with demand.
Right now the need is for 911 call takers.
"We are the first point of contact, " said Laurie Thomas-Neely.
The 911 call center is the first point of contact when it comes to public safety in Minneapolis. Call answer times have been slowed by a lack of workers and a surge in calls for help from the community. Operators work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment where patience and customer service skills are a must.
"No two days are the same every day. You are going to come here and you are probably going to hear something new, something you've never had before. Every day it's a challenge," said Rachel Zempel.
Zempel and Leticia Cardenas say answering calls can be a grind, but it's rewarding.
"It feels good to know that I am doing something for others versus myself on a daily basis from at work," Cardenas said.
This call center is offering 911 operators from $23 to $32 an hour; 911 dispatchers can make between $25 and $34 an hour. More than 25 positions are open and help is urgently needed.
"We've got everybody filling in as often as they can right now. I'll be honest, the people that start out here, there is overtime. People are working some lone overtime right now, but this is how to solve that. We want to bring more people in. We want to give more life and work balance," Joni Hodne said.
"It is a grind. Like she said, there is overtime, but there are days when you're like, you know, take a deep breath. But it's rewarding, but it's something that our community needs right now," Thomas-Neely said.
For her, this is more than just a job. She is proud to be part of the city's effort to improve public safety.
"I'm from North Minneapolis. I never thought I would be here. I am someone from the community who is helping the community," Thomas-Neely said.
A $1,000 hiring bonus is out there for qualified applicants. A high school diploma or equivalent is needed to be eligible. Recruiters will be at the Bryan Coyle Center on Thursday and at Open Streets on West Broadway this weekend to get people signed up.