SUMMARY - When Every Second Counts: Dispatch Delays and Bottlenecks
A mother calls 911 and is placed on hold, her child struggling to breathe while recorded message assures her that her call is important, the seconds stretching into minutes that she will never stop counting, that will shape every thought she has about emergency services for the rest of her life. A 911 centre operates chronically understaffed, dispatchers working overtime just to maintain minimum coverage, the stress and fatigue affecting decisions that determine who receives response and how fast.