Hialeah Councilman Bryan Calvo points at inefficiencies with city’s 911 system

MIAMI – More than 1,800 is how many 911 phone calls were missed in the City of Hialeah in just one month. 

CBS News Miami obtained documents that point to low morale, and unqualified 911 employees, all at the detriment of Hialeah residents. 

“Right now, I don’t believe that the 911 center is currently working in an effective manner,” said Hialeah City Councilman Bryan Calvo.

After six weeks of pressing the city, councilman Calvo says he found the documentation he was looking for. 

He showed CBS News Miami’s Gabby Arzola page after page of official paperwork sent by the city, highlighting inefficiencies in the 911 department. 

And while Calvo went through the documents with Arzola, he pointed to an employee list of 911 operators that he says, “Haven’t gone through the proper training to even be an operator.”

“We have a supervisor in that department who has not even taken the 911 operator exam,” said Calvo. 

Also, in the pages was an email, written by a former 911 employee, stating that the “morale has plummeted,” citing that they are mandated to work overtime every shift, saying dispatchers, “Have to wear headsets on bathroom breaks to avoid missing calls, skipping lunches and not taking breaks.”

“These are troubling remarks from any employee of the city, but especially a 911 employee,” added Calvo. 

For months, CBS News Miami has covered the issues with the Hialeah 911 Center. 

In the last city meeting, council members pushed back on the notion that any calls were missed at all.

In the past, the City of Hialeah did increase 911 operator salaries to help with hiring. However, Calvo says, few have come into the department, so the fix isn’t so simple. 

Calvo says if the board isn’t willing to take action, he will find other legal avenues. 

“What I want them to know is that I am going to keep fighting, trying to get to the bottom of all this mess and try to get the solutions passed.”