LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock city leaders are reflecting on accomplishments made in the past year, with some of those items discussed during Mayor Frank Scott Jr.'s annual State of the City address Thursday night.
Some improvements in the 911 communications department are already making a difference.
"It's not a good feeling to call 911, and nobody picks up," Vanessa Muffoletto said.
Last summer, Muffoletto said she waited about two minutes on the phone when calling 911 after witnessing a car accident in Little Rock.
"The phone just rang and rang," Muffoletto said.
That's when Muffolette decided to hang up and call Arkansas State Police.
"I felt very panicked and frustrated," Muffolette said.
Juana Green with the Little Rock 911 Communications Center said they've made a few improvements since then, including implementing a new call system.
"It reduces the liability on the call taker always to have to think of what to ask next," Green said.
Every person answering the phone asks each caller the same questions to decide the best way to respond.
"Additionally, this system has helped us expand our training and quality assurance," Green said.
The communications center ended 2023 with 29 new employees and 17 open positions, and now, Green said they lowered to 12.
"This new hire class that began in January is the first time we have done this with a $2,500 signing bonus," Green said.
It's a recruitment strategy she plans to continue when hiring more employees.
Green also said having more staff has increased the call answer rate from 64% to nearly 92%
"The national standard from the National Emergency Number Association, NENA, they're kind of like the voice of 911," Green said. "It states that 95% of 911 calls should be answered within 20 seconds."
Green said they're getting close to that because now they answer almost 92% of 911 calls within 20 seconds.
The improvements are something Muffoletto said she appreciates in case she's ever in an emergency again.
"That makes me feel wonderful and just provides some security to me as a citizen, knowing that, you know, they're at least trying to improve," Muffoletto said. "They're aware of the issues and doing something about it."
Green encourages those calling 911 not to hang up because doing that puts you at the end of the queue.
She also explained that calls do not go unanswered, even if it takes a little longer for them to pick up.
While things have improved, there's still more to do.
The goal is to fill all 12 of those open positions by the end of the year and eventually expand the call center in the future.