{"id":88,"date":"2026-05-19T06:35:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T06:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=88"},"modified":"2026-05-19T06:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T06:35:25","slug":"just-no-one-picked-up-23-of-columbia-richland-911-calls-disconnected-before-answer-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=88","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Just no one picked up\u2019: 23% of Columbia-Richland 911 calls disconnected before answer in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><p>Nicholas Sipe of Columbia was slipping into a diabetic emergency on Dec. 17. His blood sugar was rising dangerously high and his family needed an ambulance fast.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=83\">Search for woman who was last seen walking out of South Carolina hospital<\/a><\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>But when they called 911, no one answered.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Sipe\u2019s wife, daughter and daughter\u2019s boyfriend dialed repeatedly \u2013 \u201cat least\u201d 10 times before an operator picked up, said his daughter, Amber Sims.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>Their experience was frightening, and it was not entirely unique.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>More than one in five emergency calls to Columbia and Richland County\u2019s 911 Communications Center ended before an operator answered in 2025, according to the agency\u2019s own monthly reports. That\u2019s nearly 23 percent of last year\u2019s 911 calls.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cAll three of us were calling \u2026 just no one picked up,\u201d Sims said. \u201cI was just panicked, I was very scared.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Callers whose 911 calls went unanswered waited an average of 24 seconds before disconnecting, a separate report shows \u2014 far exceeding the communication center\u2019s long-standing goal of answering every 911 call within one ring. National benchmarks call for most emergency calls to be answered within 15 to 20 seconds.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Calls that are not picked up before the caller disconnects are termed abandoned. The time it takes an operator to answer a call is the most common reason calls go abandoned, say a city official and a national expert.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>The data also show that in 2025:<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><ul><li>High call volumes do not alone explain the problem. Even in months with comparatively lower call volumes, the abandonment rate remained high, above 20%. In February, for example, when the center received about 27,000 calls \u2014 one of the lowest monthly totals of the year \u2014 about 22% of calls were still abandoned.<\/li><li>Nearly 60% of all calls to the center in 2025 were non-emergency, meaning the same operators responsible for answering emergency calls are also fielding lower-priority concerns such as theft reports and nuisance complaints.<\/li><\/ul><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cIt\u2019s just absolute incompetence,\u201d said Sipe, 80, who has recovered from his medical emergency. He wrote letters to several local elected officials about his family\u2019s experience, but said he has yet to receive any response. \u201cI am so disappointed in the people that are supposed to be running a really critical service for the people of Richland County.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>City of Columbia officials who oversee emergency communications for the city and county acknowledged \u201cchallenges\u201d with the call center but stressed that they feel center operations have been successful overall.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>Officials pointed to high call volumes and a 21.5% vacancy rate at the call center as factors contributing to the more than 84,400 abandoned calls.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><div> <\/div><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cIt\u2019s not acceptable for any type of percentage to be up like that,\u201d said Columbia Assistant City Manager Henry Simons, adding that it\u2019s the city\u2019s goal to manage the call volume \u201cwith the resources that we have.\u201d<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>Officials stressed that there are a variety of reasons a call could go abandoned, including pocket dials, repeat call-ins and multiple people calling about the same event. But officials acknowledged that call answer times are the main reason for abandoned calls.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Emergency calls to 911 should be answered within 15 seconds 90% of the time, and within 20 seconds 95% of the time, according to national standards set by the National Emergency Number Association, an agency which informs 911 operations across the country.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>The Columbia-Richland Communications Center is jointly managed by the city of Columbia and Richland County, with the city overseeing staffing but with both governments paying for the department.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>Richland County Council Chair Jesica Mackey, when presented with the newspaper\u2019s findings, declined an interview.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cI don\u2019t have anything to add on this story at this time,\u201d Mackey said.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Meanwhile, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said addressing the situation would be a priority for the city, but added that he wanted to better understand the data to identify the various factors contributing to the problem.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cIf there\u2019s a breakdown somewhere, then we\u2019ll address it and tackle it,\u201d he said.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><div> <div><noscript>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"More than 1 in 5 calls to 911 in Columbia and Richland County were abandoned in 2025 (Grouped Bars)\" class=\"wp-image-85\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b8d5ea0531f600b9176528b97658e473-1024x394.png\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b8d5ea0531f600b9176528b97658e473-1024x394.png 1024w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b8d5ea0531f600b9176528b97658e473-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b8d5ea0531f600b9176528b97658e473-768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b8d5ea0531f600b9176528b97658e473.png 1220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/noscript><\/div><\/div><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>The city is currently writing its budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which Rickenmann said is the perfect opportunity to determine if more funding can help. Rickenmann also emphasized that most abandoned calls are returned.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cIs it perfect that they didn\u2019t get somebody on the first [call]? Absolutely not. Is that what we want? Absolutely not,\u201d Rickenmann said. \u201cBut at the same time, you\u2019ve got to acknowledge that those people did get service, the majority of them.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Records show about 76% of abandoned 911 calls were ultimately classified as \u201cserviced\u201d \u2013 either because the call center placed a callback or because the caller reached 911 in a repeat call within an hour, as the Sipe family did. But the records do not indicate how quickly those callbacks or repeat connections occurred within that hour.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><h2>911 staff shortages eroding public trust<\/h2><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Neka Dickerson called 911 several times in March, after a belligerent man walked into her Farrow Road hair salon and refused to leave.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cThat phone rung, rung, rung, rung, rung,\u201d she recalled. \u201cWe don\u2019t know if that guy had a gun on him. We don\u2019t know what the situation was. And it was dark (outside.)\u2026 To me, it\u2019s like we were helpless.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Between her and her colleague, they called 911 three or four times before someone answered the phone, Dickerson said. Now, she said she can\u2019t rely on 911 or the police if she is in trouble again.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Residents across the city and county who called 911 during terrifying moments and struggled to get through told The State newspaper that they now have less faith in a system the public expects to work every time.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>The Columbia-Richland 911 call center\u2019s own long-standing policy states emergency calls should be picked up on the first ring. That policy has been in place since at least 2015. On May 11, the department updated that policy to include the NENA standard.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cA second is like a lifetime if you have an emergency, so I understand,\u201d said Wendy Royal, Columbia\u2019s director of emergency communications.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>Long wait times are one of the most common reasons for abandoned calls nationwide, said April Heinze, an expert with the National Emergency Number Association.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=81\">SC\u2019s Lindsey Graham would give up job to keep Iran from having nuclear weapon<\/a><\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cSo if the call isn\u2019t answered within a certain period of time people will hang up and then call back,\u201d said Heinze.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><div> <\/div><!--]--><!--[--><p>City officials said operators are always taking calls, but that the call volume requires more staff.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>The call center had 22 open positions out of 102, as of early May. That\u2019s a vacancy rate of 21.5%.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Filling those positions can be difficult since the pay is modest and the job can be stressful. It\u2019s not always easy \u201cto hear some of the things that they hear,\u201d Simons said.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>In a recent job posting on the city\u2019s employment portal, Columbia told prospective 911 telecommunicators that the salary range was between $39,024 and $48,780.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Staff vacancies are a problem for emergency communications centers nationwide. Nearly 75% of respondents to a nationwide survey of 911 operators conducted by NENA reported that their organization had open positions in 2025, a slight dip from the 82% of respondents who reported those vacancies in 2024.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Employee mental health is also a growing challenge. Burnout surpassed hiring as the top workforce issue facing 911 operators in that 2025 survey, with nearly 70% of respondents feeling daily pre-shift stress.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cOur people work their a** off down there,\u201d Rickenmann said. \u201cI mean, they absolutely do a tremendous job. And the total volume that goes through there is tremendous.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>The Columbia-Richland Communications Center is currently training three prospective employees, with another 10 set to begin a training course later this spring. Royal said more people will lead to better answer times, which she said will mean fewer abandoned calls.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><div> <div><noscript>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"For each month in 2025, 20% or more emergency calls in Columbia and Richland County were abandoned (Bullet Bars)\" class=\"wp-image-86\" height=\"804\" src=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/471a2f6ea7e27d45184d533417150d01-1024x804.png\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/471a2f6ea7e27d45184d533417150d01-1024x804.png 1024w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/471a2f6ea7e27d45184d533417150d01-300x236.png 300w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/471a2f6ea7e27d45184d533417150d01-768x603.png 768w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/471a2f6ea7e27d45184d533417150d01.png 1220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/noscript><\/div><\/div><!--]--><!--[--><p>Columbia and Richland County are also in talks to relocate the 911 call center to a new facility, though when asked about the plans, city officials declined to comment, \u201cdue to ongoing contractual discussions\u201d between the city and county over \u201cthe potential relocation\u201d of the call center. Currently, the call center is located inside the Columbia-Richland Fire Department headquarters on Laurel Street.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><h2>Non-emergencies tying up lines?<\/h2><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Hope Jefferson was on her way home in early January when she checked her security camera and saw an intruder at her house.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Jefferson said she called 911 six times before reaching an operator. When she did connect, she told the person on the other line how many times she had tried calling but didn\u2019t get the response she expected.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cThey were just like, they have a high call volume,\u201d Jefferson said. \u201cAs if that was a valid response. Not at all. Because if the intruder \u2026 had a weapon, I would have been dead long before 911 answered the phone.\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Data reviewed by the newspaper show that 911 call-takers are juggling non-emergency calls in addition to emergency ones. Nearly 60% of last year\u2019s 887,000-plus calls to the department were classified as non-emergencies. Those calls come in through the department\u2019s designated non-emergency number but are still handled by the same operators.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Royal said the department prioritizes 911 calls over non-emergency calls, but that can lead non-emergent callers to hang up and dial 911, further stressing the system.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cIt\u2019s tough at times because of the (call) volume, and they (911 operators) take lots of calls, not only just emergency calls, but non-emergent calls,\u201d Simons said.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>The department is looking at using AI to help answer some of those non-emergency calls, Royal said.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><div> <div><noscript>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nearly 60% of all calls to the Columbia-Richland Communications Center in 2025 were non-emergency (Pie Chart)\" class=\"wp-image-87\" height=\"787\" src=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a055ad93d64ef04282fc15ede4e60d28-1024x787.png\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a055ad93d64ef04282fc15ede4e60d28-1024x787.png 1024w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a055ad93d64ef04282fc15ede4e60d28-300x231.png 300w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a055ad93d64ef04282fc15ede4e60d28-768x590.png 768w, https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a055ad93d64ef04282fc15ede4e60d28.png 1220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/noscript><\/div><\/div><!--]--><!--[--><p>The Columbia-Richland department has also experienced glitches. In one recent case, a malfunctioning hotel phone system repeatedly called 911 but would not allow operators to pick up. Those calls registered as abandoned.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Rickenmann, Columbia\u2019s mayor, said the city can do better.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cAt the end of the day, to me it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s 20% or 1%, we want to try to be at 100%,\u201d Rickenmann said. \u201cNow that this is all in front of me, I\u2019ve got to address it.\u201d<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>City officials pointed to the overall call volume as a sign of the department\u2019s success. Simons said the department is \u201cgetting it right\u201d with the majority of those calls and saving lives everyday.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Meanwhile, local residents say their confidence in the system has been rattled, maybe forever.<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p>Dickerson, who called the police after a belligerent man refused to leave her hair salon, said now when she leaves work at night, she goes in a group.<\/p><!--]--><!--[--><p>\u201cBecause we know we can\u2019t call 911,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen someone dials those three numbers, it\u2019s a dire emergency, I am in danger. Could you imagine dialing that number and not getting an answer?\u201d<\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><p><i>This story was reported in collaboration with SC Investigates, a nonprofit newsroom that partners with local journalists to produce accountability reporting in South Carolina.<\/i><\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=80\">New houses are going up across the Midlands. These are the latest developments<\/a><\/p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2025, over 1 in 5 emergency calls to the Columbia-Richland 911 center ended before an operator answered. Top reasons were long wait times and call volume.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Just no one picked up\u2019: 23% of Columbia-Richland 911 calls disconnected before answer in 2025 - US Moving Experts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=88\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Just no one picked up\u2019: 23% of Columbia-Richland 911 calls disconnected before answer in 2025 - US Moving Experts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In 2025, over 1 in 5 emergency calls to the Columbia-Richland 911 center ended before an operator answered. 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