INDIANAPOLIS, Marion County — In the Marion County 911 Center, calls for help come in every few seconds.
"We are busy," said dispatcher Emily Euliss with a smile in between calls.
With more than 1 million calls a year, it is the busiest in the state and among the busiest in the country.
And Euliss loves it.
"Just being able to help people in that time when they need it the most .. it's really rewarding," she said.
But dispatchers across Indiana, and much of the nation, are working long hours and overtime shifts because 911 centers are, themselves, in need of help.
They need more people to answer those calls.
"It's significant and we're always looking," said Marion County 911 Director Michael Hubbs.
The need is especially great right now, he said, with every industry desperate for workers. That means 911 centers are competing more than ever with the private sector to fill dispatcher positions.
"Everyday, that's what we're fighting in the recruitment phase, is 'do I work here at the 911 center or go to a corporation and have the equivalent pay?'" he said.
Hubbs would like to hire an additional 15 to 20 workers.
He acknowledged it takes a special person.
"They take call after call after call and that wears on a dispatcher and there is a skillset necessary to do this job," Hubbs said.
A spokesperson for Madison County's 911 Center said they currently have 34 operators and are looking for additional six. To stay in line with minimum staffing levels, overtime this month more than doubled from April 2021.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office is looking to fill five dispatcher positions.
"If you don't have that piece of the puzzle in there, you don't succeed," said Major Brian Stevenson, who began his law enforcement career more than 20 years ago as a dispatcher.
To recruit more people, he said Boone County has lowered the minimum age for communications personnel from 21 to 18.
"We are seeing that there are people when they graduate high school they're ready to go out into the real world but maybe not necessarily be a police officer or a firefighter or something you have to be 21 years of age to do," he said. "What a perfect opportunity to get into law enforcement and see this might be a career for them."
Marion County just approved a 10% raise for its dispatchers and is exploring other incentives like offering child day care.
For veteran dispatchers like Emily Euliss, a nudge for others to consider answering the call.
"I never knew I'd be good at it. I encourage everybody to try it," she said. "You may find that you really love it. That's what happened with me."
"I call them heroes with headsets," Hubbs said. "That's really what they are."