Strengthening the first line of response: Emergency communications staffing for Aurora

The City of Aurora, Colorado, Emergency Communications Center faced rising service demands and internal staffing challenges. The City needed a workload-based analysis to understand how projected growth scenarios would affect call-taking and dispatch capacity, and to address overtime reliance that affected the broader public safety system.  

We conducted a workload-based staffing and operational analysis of the center.  

• Demand assumptions: We examined call volume trends, shift structures, and minimum staffing standards, and modeled staffing needs under varying demand scenarios. 
• Deployment alignment: We evaluated current staffing deployment patterns to identify where peak call periods were misaligned with available staffing resources. 

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The study identified structural adjustments to align peak call periods with staffing resources, reduce mandatory overtime exposure, and strengthen supervisory capacity. In addition, we provided phased hiring and implementation recommendations aligned with fiscal constraints, enabling City leadership to improve sustainability, employee wellness, and service reliability in a high-demand communications environment.