Staff at Minneapolis 911 call center log more than 4,600 hours of overtime in 3 months

Minneapolis 911 dispatchers and operators combined to log more than 4,600 hours of overtime over a three-month period this year, according to records obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Of the 50 Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center employees listed, 16 individually logged more than 100 hours of overtime over the months of February, March and April. One has put in 380 hours, another 265 hours and a third 245 hours of overtime.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is protecting the identity of one current MECC employee who said staffing levels are “dangerously low” right now. A check of city records showed staffing levels at the MECC are down 20% from 2019.

“The staffing levels right now are dangerously low,” the 911 employee said. “Some calls are going into over-ring, and some calls are being missed to the point where we have to call people back.”

Assistant MECC Director Joni Hodne said last week that the center is experiencing a challenging staffing issue and said some workers are putting in 10- and 12-hour days, six or seven days a week.

“I don’t think we are at a crisis, but we are definitely short-staffed,” Hodne said. “Emergency level would be a good way to characterize it.”

City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, who chairs the Health and Public Safety Committee, says she intends to hold committee hearings to address the issue and plans on visiting employees at the MECC this week.

“We need them to be rested. We need them to be alert because they don’t know what’s on the other side of that call on the other side of that phone,” Vetaw said. “And, the last thing I want to have happen is a person to not even have enough energy to be able to navigate through what the caller is saying.”

Hodne said the city has posted new job openings after the city and dispatchers and operators reached a contract agreement this week, which includes a $1,000 bonus to help recruit more employees.