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Since the press conference
Wednesday, we are pleased to report that the team has been diligently working
on the 911 issue for the past 24-hours and made some significant progress in
identifying a combination of factors that contributed to the 911 issue.
T-Mobile has clarified that the
calls that were gathering in the queue were not ghost calls, but abandoned
calls. Ghost calls happen when a person’s phone makes repeated calls to 911,
unbeknownst to the person. Abandoned calls happen when a caller hangs up before
reaching a 911 call taker.
To address this, beginning
this weekend, the City is adding a dozen additional call takers per day to
ensure an enhanced level of service until this issue is fully resolved. We are
also pursuing technology upgrades. To further assist the call takers, T-Mobile
has made adjustments in its network to smooth the delivery of calls to 911.
“T-Mobile committed resources
in Dallas until we made progress, and they have kept their promise,” said City
Manager T.C. Broadnax. “We want our citizens to know that their safety is our
number one priority and they can count on us when they call 911.”
“I’m pleased that our staff
and T-Mobile worked through the night and have determined some immediate
technological upgrades that will better serve our citizens calling 911,” said
Mayor Mike Rawlings. “I’m also encouraged that City Manager T.C. Broadnax has
committed to increasing staffing and recommending any other budgetary
enhancements to our 911 call center.”
T-Mobile has committed to
having a team in the 911 call center for the next two weeks so that they can help
monitor any potential issues that may surface in real time. The City’s
third-party vendors that support the City’s public safety infrastructure will
also be on hand.
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