Apr. 14—It now takes about half as much time for police dispatchers to answer 911 calls as it did during recent peaks just a couple years ago, officials with the Anchorage Police Department said this week. Wait times began to rise after 2015 and peaked in late 2018 and mid-2019, when it took up to 21 seconds on average for dispatchers to answer incoming 911 calls, according to data provided by .
Wait times for 911 calls have dropped significantly due to higher dispatch staffing, Anchorage police say adn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from adn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Part 2 of 6 If you were born anytime in the last 60 years, you were probably taught from a young age that in an emergency, the very first thing you do is call 911. Dial that three-digit number from nearly anywhere in North America and you’ll be connected to a local public safety answering point, or PSAP, from which dispatchers can send police, fire and EMS units to help you with whatever your emergency may be. But what if your emergency isn’t a crime or physical ailment? Is the emergency response system really equipped to provide meaningful aid to someone who is experiencing a behavioral health crisis?