Need for 911 dispatchers grows in Lakeland as population rises

Lakeland Police Department hiring 911 dispatchers

With the City of Lakeland's growing population, the need for 911 dispatchers is increasing as well. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - With the City of Lakeland's growing population, the need for 911 dispatchers is increasing as well.

Julia Mayorga is a trainee at Lakeland Police's 911 dispatch center, but she is not new to the Lakeland Police Department. She essentially grew up there, as her mother has worked at the department for nearly 20 years.

After serving in the military, Mayorga thought 911 communication might be the right fit for her.

"Now that I'm home again, I can focus on serving the local community and help on a more personal level," she said.

By the numbers:

There are currently 45 dispatch call-takers at the center, with a goal of having 55 full-time employees. They handle around 500 calls per day, sometimes up to 700.

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The number of calls is increasing year by year as more people move to the area.

Big picture view:

There is a nationwide shortage of dispatchers, exacerbated by mental health and career advancement challenges. 

"We have great mental health resources in place for our staff," said Shanna Lucas, Communications Center Manager. "We try to do little things to help break up the monotony and get them involved in different aspects of the job. For certified training officers, we try to get them involved for the hiring process so they're sitting on interview boards and recruitment opportunities."

People don't usually see the in-house heroes—the voice they hear before police and fire respond—but Mayorga says it's still a rewarding career.

"It can be thankless, but when we do get calls from people thanking us for what we do, it's worth it," said Mayorga.

What's next:

Although the application process is currently closed, it periodically reopens, so it's important to check in with the department regularly.

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