DC's Office of Unified Communications responds to recent criticism

Across D.C., there have been delays in getting help to people in their worst moments. In August, the death of a 5-month-old during a 911 computer outage led to an internal review, but Office of Unified Communications (OUC) Director Heather McGaffin is trying to move forward.

“I hear people say that DC 911 is in crisis. It is not in crisis," said McGaffin. "It is a system that has been outpaced and overtaxed and we are making improvements so that the experience for the 911 call taker and caller are at the top.”

McGaffin said staffing and problems with technology have been big hurdles since she arrived. To combat that, the OUC has hired five new full-time IT personnel. It’s also launched hiring bonuses and even offering bonuses to current employees who show up for all of their scheduled shifts. The OUC says it is routinely hosting prospect days and attending job fairs.

Applicants must pass a suitability test and a CritiCall test, which checks the person's typing speed and knowledge of D.C.'s geography.

“We are really selective here," McGaffin said. "We have to be able to multitask, we have to be able to handle anything at a moment’s notice and you have to really be able to deal with the spontaneity of things just happening."

McGaffin is optimistic OUC will be fully staffed by the start of 2025.

“Everybody behind those doors puts 100% into their job," said Richard Sullivan, an assistant watch commander for DC Fire and EMS in the 911 call center.

When it comes to dispatch mix-ups, many times he says the caller is at fault.

"They might be in northeast, but they keep telling us southeast, southeast or they give the wrong street location," Sullivan said. "We had one that was 1st Street, but it was actually 51st Street.”

He argues blanket criticism of the OUC isn’t fair.

“It’s always OUC, it’s never anybody else," Sullivan said. "OUC did this, OUC did this. No, OUC didn’t. We did what we were supposed to do. Other units didn’t do what they were supposed to do, but nothing is ever said about them.”

Sullivan said recent criticism has affected some of the 911 call takers.

"It beats them down every day," he said. "They come to work and it’s like, what’s going to happen today? We’re still going to do our jobs, we’re going to give you 110%, but we’re not going to get the gratification that everybody on the outside, behind the radio gets."

The Office of Unified Communications also says people need to know when to call 911. Using an emergency line for a non-emergency ties up resources.

"We’ll get ambulances dispatched for somebody with a stubbed toe," Sullivan said. "We’re tying up a lot of ambulances and fire trucks because our ambulances are out, so we have to use fire trucks to check these people out to see what they need."

“It is noon on a Friday morning, and we have not hit what we consider our busiest hours and we’ve taken almost a thousand 911 calls," McGaffin added. "That’s an indication of how this system is being used in Washington, D.C.”

Monday, McGaffin will attend the first monthly oversight hearing called by Councilmember Brooke Pinto to address concerns within the agency.

“This is about accountability and we’re open to that," McGaffin said. "We’ll be there on Monday to answer the questions.”