SAINT LOUIS, Mo. — The Interim public safety director of St. Louis, Charles Coyle, said in July that the city is short 40 police dispatchers and 10 EMS dispatchers.
QUESTION: Could Missouri National Guard soldiers potentially fill the void by temporarily assuming the responsibilities of 911 call operators?
SOURCES:
- Army National Guard
- Missouri Attorney General's office
- Spokesperson for Governor Mike Parson
- Missouri law
ANSWER:
We can verify, yes. Governor Parson has the power to activate the Missouri National Guard to answer 911 phone lines in the City of St. Louis but Parson has no plans to do so at this time.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Recent incidents have spotlighted concerns over the 911 emergency response system in the City of St. Louis, as families of four individuals allege that the system failed them in their time of need. Of those four separate instances, three of the people died. The heart-wrenching stories of these individuals have ignited a broader conversation about the efficiency and reliability of the 911 system in the city. According to loved ones, they were left on hold, waiting for a lifeline.
The Interim Public Safety Director of St. Louis, Charles Coyle, acknowledged in July that the city is grappling with a shortage of critical personnel. The shortfall amounts to 40 police dispatchers and 10 EMS dispatchers, creating a gap in the system's capacity to handle emergency calls promptly.
In response to this situation, a concerned 5 On Your Side viewer posed a question to the Verify team: Could Missouri National Guard soldiers potentially fill the void by temporarily assuming the responsibilities of 911 call operators?
Two authorities possess the power to activate the National Guard: the President of the United States and state governors. In the context of the state of Missouri, the governor holds the authority to deploy the National Guard in circumstances deemed necessary, particularly when local agencies are overwhelmed and public health and safety are at risk.
A spokesperson for Parson, Johnathan Shiflett, emphasized that while the governor possesses the ability to mobilize the National Guard to address the pressing issue of 911 call response, there are currently no plans to do so. Shiflett underscored the importance of local leadership in prioritizing and addressing the critical public safety need.
St. Louis Public Safety Spokesman Monte Chambers has issued statements, saying the city is working to build a new 911 center to house all police, fire and EMS dispatchers under one roof; raised the starting salary for a police dispatcher to $39,000; plans to cross-train dispatchers so they can fill in for each other; and has already combined police and EMS dispatchers in the 911 center.