St. Louis City Public Safety Dispatchers to Undergo Essential Training for Level Two Certification

The Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce that Public Safety Dispatchers level one are participating in a crucial two-week training program designed to upgrade their skills and elevate them to Public Safety Dispatchers level two. This mandatory training is required within the first year of dispatcher training.

We would like to remind all residents and visitors that during this training period, there may be slight delays in the answering of 911 calls. We urge you to remain on the line and not hang up. Your call is important, and hanging up may result in further delays as you will need to call again and potentially wait longer. To minimize interruptions of services, overtime has been authorized for dispatchers during the training period.

“I’m grateful for Director Coyle and the work he and his team have done to reduce response times for 911 calls,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “This latest round of training is another step toward ensuring that residents experiencing an emergency get a quick response from our first responders.”

Director Coyle's strategic initiatives have been instrumental in moving the 911 system closer to national standards and improving the overall efficiency of emergency response services in St. Louis.

Notable achievements include:

• Reduction in Hold Times: The city has significantly reduced the 911 hold times. In July of 2023, 56.9% of 911 calls were answered within 10 seconds; as of April of 2024, that number had improved to 84.4%. 
• Technological Upgrades: The Department has begun the process of upgrading the Computer Automated Dispatching (CAD) system to match both Fire and EMS. We expect these upgrades to be completed by 2026.
• Staffing Enhancements: Since July of last year, we have increased the staffing levels by hiring 34 Police, two Fire, and nine EMS dispatchers and providing necessary training, which has been ongoing, focusing on filling vacancies and ensuring that dispatchers are well-prepared to handle emergencies efficiently.

The Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) is a new facility under construction that will house all emergency dispatch operations, including police, fire, and EMS. This 17,000-square-foot building is designed to enhance emergency response efficiency by integrating all dispatch services under one roof.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our emergency response services.