PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Life is never dull at the Clallam County 911 dispatch center, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.
"It never ceases to amaze me that I still get surprised all the time," says dispatcher Susan Craig.
The Port Angeles office, which serves 17 police and fire departments, should have 20 dispatchers, but there are only 13 people on staff.
It's a concerning number as the agency looks to fill positions no one apparently wants to take.
Dispatchers here work 300 to 500 hours of overtime every year, answering 40,000 to 50,000 calls.
The work is rewarding but draining.
"It's hard to give your best self if you're exhausted," says Craig.
The goal is for 90% of calls to be answered within 10 seconds, and the team sticks to that, but they're operating at about 50% capacity. Positions have gone unfilled for years.
"We're always sitting on the edge, especially when you're at 11 of 20 positions, it's almost half staff, so things get pretty dicey when it gets to that," says Deputy Director of Communications Karl Hatton.
It's a nationwide problem, with some communities reporting vacancy rates of more than 70%.
High stress and long hours are the main factors, with some dispatchers working 16-hour shifts for multiple days in a row.
"We do our best to take care of our people, but that work-life balance right now is almost nonexistent," says Hatton.
"I have concerns that wake me up in the middle of the night," adds Craig.
Supervisors are offering signing bonuses of up to $5,000 for new hires and annual retention bonuses of $10,000.
They've raised the starting pay to $29 an hour in Clallam County, but the problems persist.
Staffing has been cut to just two dispatchers and a supervisor on some shifts.
It's critical work that needs to get done because lives depend on it.
"I know I've saved lives," says Hatton. "That makes it all worthwhile."
"You make a difference," says Craig. "I think that's the thing. I know that I made a difference."
Dispatchers must have a high school diploma or equivalent and pass a background check.