Chicago dispatcher Keith Thornton Jr., who was praised for his handling of a call about the fatal shooting of Officer Ella French last month, says Congress should pass the 911 SAVES Act to help him and his colleagues. "We need to start supporting the people who we don't see, but they're getting you help when you need it," Thornton says.

Multiple 9-1-1 centers in Maine are short-staffed, and officials say they are concerned that the state's vaccine mandate for emergency medical dispatchers could further shrink their numbers. State troopers and employees from the Office of State Fire Marshal are helping handle calls where needed.

Public safety agencies in Washington, D.C., and neighboring parts of Maryland and Virginia have used technology to bolster communication among first responders and with the public in the two decades since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Coordination and radio systems have helped agencies become better connected.

9-1-1 calls in Multnomah County, Ore., which includes Portland, have increased by 21% over the past eight months, and more callers have had to wait longer for a dispatcher to answer. The county is recruiting more dispatchers and considering adding an automated program to handle nonemergency calls.

Collier County, Fla., dispatchers Justin Koval and Danielle Bower and communications supervisor Samantha Czaplewski are spending two weeks in Lafourche Parish, La., to provide a respite for dispatchers who have been working constantly since Hurricane Ida. "Our agency has a long history of stepping up to assist in the emergencies of other communities," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.