COVID-19 Outbreak At South Sound 911 Slowing Some Call Times

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — A COVID-19 outbreak at South Sound 911 has dispatchers warning residents they may experience longer wait times for some non-emergency calls.

South Sound 911 says 28 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since Dec. 17, and even more are still awaiting test results. An outbreak, as defined by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, requires two or more positive cases at a work site.

All 28 employees have only suffered mild COVID symptoms, and none have been hospitalized. 20 have even been cleared to return to work, South Sound 911 said, but between the eight operators remaining in self-isolation and deep cleaning of the South Sound 911 facility, some Pierce County callers may experience longer wait times in the near future. South Sound 911 currently has around 20 budgeted positions unfilled, The News Tribune reported, complicating its staffing issues.

South Sound 911 handles emergency calls for 38 police and fire agencies across Pierce County. However, the agency stresses that 911 calls should not be impacted by the employee shortage.

"The outbreak is not impacting the critical delivery of emergency 911 service or the dispatch of responders," said South Sound 911 Community Relations Manager Kris McNamar. "Employee absences are being backfilled through overtime and South Sound 911 remains ready with contingency staffing plans to ensure emergency calls are answered and responders are dispatched."

To keep 911 lines staffed and running on time, callers to the agency's non-emergency line, and 911 calls that are determined not to be immediately urgent, may be on hold for longer than usual. During the shortage, South Sound 911 is encouraging residents to report non-emergency crimes online.

Unlike some public agencies in Washington, South Sound 911 does not have a mandatory vaccination policy, though it does encourage and incentivize vaccination. The agency says about 78 percent of its employees have been vaccinated. It also enforces other COVID-19 safety protocols including mandatory mask usage, frequent handwashing and sanitation of public services.

South Sound 911 was formed in 2012 after voters approved a plan to consolidate five local 911 call centers into South Sound 911. After nearly a decade of work, the agency moved into its new Public Safety Communications Center just last October.

>> Learn more about the Public Safety Communications Center from South Sound 911.