Furlough day blamed for unanswered 911 calls in D.C.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A furlough day imposed this month on D.C. emergency dispatchers is being blamed for nearly 200 unanswered 911 calls.
Only three dispatchers instead of the usual 16 were working on President's Day, from midnight to 6 a.m., because of the furlough day.
The Washington Examiner reports the dispatchers' union president, Lee Blackmon, had warned city officials in writing that forcing dispatchers to take the day off could harm public safety.
Though the law required the dispatchers to be furloughed within the two-week pay period of President's Day, the D.C. Council has now modified legislation to allow the dispatchers to be furloughed over a longer period.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Paul Quander tells WTOP Radio the first week of furloughs was "a little rocky." But he adds that the city's 911 calls are still answered faster than the national average.
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