State and local leaders can alleviate the burden on public-safety personnel by tackling three workforce trends

Government officials and public safety leaders wear many different hats. They serve as sounding boards for constituent complaints and for new ideas that need vetting. They are change agents charged with improving the lives of citizens and colleagues and are tasked with keeping order. Their most daunting responsibility, however, is keeping members of their community safe.

Nearly every day, our newsfeed features stories about residents and responders put in harm’s way—or worse, killed—due to some kind of catastrophe or emergency event. The uptick in emergencies is prompting members of the public to turn to state and local leaders for help, and their pleas are coming at a time when many agencies are facing setbacks due to budget cuts and staffing shortages. These workplace woes are compounded further by the same mental health challenges that are playing out in the private sector—anxiety, job burnout and depression.

As government leaders work to keep residents safe, they must first protect their own employees. So, let’s look at some of the ways that state and local officials can do just that.

Address staffing shortages and fill operational gaps with next generation technology
Like their private sector counterparts, state and local offices are struggling to recruit new employees. This unfortunate trend is forcing current personnel to take on extra responsibilities with less resources. 911 centers and law enforcement agencies are especially vulnerable given attrition and a robust job market that has public safety employees seeking other careers. For example, the Kansas City police department is operating with 100 fewer non-law enforcement roles filled—including 911 dispatchers—and 200 fewer officers than warranted. This hiring dearth has led to citizens waiting longer for a dispatcher to take their call and send responders—delays that could exacerbate emergency situations.

While agencies look to secure additional funding to retain employees and recruit new staff, they would be wise to use next generation technology to fill personnel gaps and reduce the likelihood of employee burnout. Tech solutions can capture and share critical caller information, as well as location data and streaming video so that 911 call takers and first responders can efficiently and effectively spring into action. They can display facility information like critical floorplans, emergency contacts and activate two-way texting so that call takers and responding units are aware of any unique or special circumstances. More detailed information at the outset allows for quicker response and better situational awareness, which is good news for the person in distress as well as public safety personnel.

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