COLUMBUS, Ohio — Emergency call centers across Ohio have struggled to fill dispatch and call-taker positions for years, and it’s taken a toll on how they can operate. 

Before becoming a dispatcher in 2016, Chris Mayfield, of the Columbus Emergency Communications Center, had always dreamed of becoming a police officer. But after joining the dispatch team, he realized just how fun the job was. 

“It’s like playing an intense video game,” said Mayfield. “It’s just a lot of different things to do. And a lot of things to keep track of. It’s just an exciting job and also the benefit of sitting in an air-conditioned room rather than a hot car.”

Although the job can be rewarding, Mayfield said it can always be very stressful, like the time he received a call from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend had been stalking her all day. While on the phone, the man broke into the house. She pulled out a gun, started firing shots, and then there was silence.

“In that moment I’m thinking, ‘Oh, did both of these people succumb to gunshot wounds,’” he said. “Eventually, after two or three minutes, the woman gets back on the phone and tells me that she shot the boyfriend and he’s laying… on the living room floor.” 

It’s that type of situation that Columbus Deputy Director of Public Safety Dan Giangardella said takes a special person to handle, and why he said it’s so hard to hire and keep people for the job.

As of now, the Columbus Emergency Communications Center has 34 vacant positions and the Hamilton County Communications Center has 15. The Cuyahoga County Communications Systems also confirmed experiencing a shortage as well. 

“We probably have a few more now than we’ve had sort of pre-pandemic,” said Giangardella. “But we’ve always had vacancies. But we are consciously trying to hire more individuals than we have in the past as well. So that we can alleviate some of that overtime work.”

Because of the vacancies, employees have had to work 12-plus hours and work more days. But despite the long-work days, Mayfield said the job is well-worth it because he is helping people in need. 

“They’re calling you for help,” he said. “You’re the only person in that moment who can help them, and that’s an awesome responsibility.”

The Columbus and Hamilton County centers are hiring for their call taker and dispatch positions. To become a call taker, a high school diploma is needed and two years of experience is needed to become a dispatcher.

For more information Columbus Emergency Communications Center, click here. For more information about jobs available at the Hamilton County Communications Center, click here. 

Editor’s Note: The story was updated to reflect the place of employment of Chris Mayfield. (July 22, 2022)