FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Broward County’s emergency call heart is vastly understaffed and the sheriff informed county commissioners his agency does no longer enjoy the money to have the empty positions.

In addition, Sheriff Gregory Tony mentioned Tuesday that he is moreover having a anxious time conserving other dispatchers who can create extra money in other areas.

“We’re going to continue to lose these folks,” he warned. “This can moreover just repeatedly be a scenario right here whether or no longer we are desirous to confess it or no longer.”

Some Broward County Commissioners informed the sheriff to repair the elements straight away.

“Give all individuals a elevate … and likewise you won’t lose any individual,” Commissioner Observe Bogen informed the sheriff. “You received the money to construct that correct now without us giving you a penny.”

Tony informed commissioners Tuesday he’s no longer going to create “random or speedy choices” that can perchance perchance construct other problems. He agreed to create a presentation outlining financial desires on the Would maybe perchance even 10 commission meeting.

The understaffing came to gentle in a South Florida SunSentinel investigation that documented thousands of unanswered 911 calls. The newspaper chanced on that abandoned calls, these which would possibly perchance moreover be disconnected earlier than they are answered, elevated 26% from 2019 to 2021. In February, there had been 14,505 abandoned calls. That’s the most up-to-date month for which statistics are readily accessible.

Sheriff’s officers mentioned excessive stress and pay that is no longer competitive are reasons for the understaffing.

Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, who served as the convey’s emergency management director unless final yr, mentioned county govt does no longer switch rapidly, sending elements to committees earlier than something happens. “I secret agent at this as a genuine-time scenario.”

He cited to illustrate a dwelling in Hollywood that burned to the bottom final month after calls to 911 went unanswered.

“Problems don’t obtain higher with time in emergency management, they obtain worse,” Moskowitz mentioned. “What took convey in this instance was a tragedy, and the sheriff is telling us it’s going to happen yet again.”

The SunSentinel legend mentioned the dwelling fire, alongside with other examples of folks whose 911 calls went unanswered. These included a person with a scientific emergency and a family whose puny one was turning blue, and later died after the daddy took the puny one to the smartly being facility.

Moskowitz asked for “the amount is to repair this,” whether or no longer it was $250,000 or $500,000. “If greenbacks help take care of this, then let’s correct appropriate the greenbacks.”

Tony didn’t enjoy a amount straight away, nevertheless mentioned he’ll obtain it ready for commissioners. “We’ll approach help with a desires set a query to of,” he mentioned.

County commissioners appeared aggravated by about a of the non-solutions they received and questioned the most life like possible blueprint it received up to now.

”Is Broward meeting the nationwide requirements?” Commissioner Steve Geller asked, referring to expectations that 90% of emergency calls obtain answered within 15 seconds.

“Yes, there are times where we fall brief,” Sheriff’s Colonel Nichole Anderson responded. ”For essentially the most fragment we are meeting it,” she mentioned. “More times than no longer” the agency meets its requirements.

”It’s the qualifier you exhaust alongside with on the tip that is bothering me,” Geller mentioned.