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ARPA to the Rescue: Investing In Emergency Services
The expansion and integration of 911 dispatch departments will speed response times and save more St. Louis lives.
Getting every crisis under control, all under one roof.
On October 24th, a life-saving mission, 18 years in the making, finally broke ground on Thomas Street: the construction of a new 911 dispatch center for St. Louis City.
Police, fire, and EMS dispatchers will all work out of this new coordinated base of operations, as well as the City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA). City officials hope streamlining communications between dispatchers will allow emergency services to serve St. Louisans, more quickly and effectively.
In the fall of 2023, the City’s workforce had dwindled to only 50 emergency dispatchers. Low on staff, dispatchers struggled to answer all 911 calls in a timely manner, causing some callers to face long wait times.
But the allotment of more than $25 million in ARPA funds towards building the new 911 dispatch center, with the state contributing $10 million, will enable the City to improve emergency response times.
St. Louis has already made huge strides towards its goals – by placing its bets on our people.
One of the City’s main strategies has been investment in attracting and retaining dedicated dispatchers: That’s why, in 2023, dispatchers saw significant and needed pay increases. Most notably, the starting salary changed from $32,240 to $47,008 for EMS dispatchers. $47,008 is also the new salary for public safety dispatcher II and police dispatchers, who were previously paid $41,548. Annual pay for public safety dispatcher I employees grew from $39,910 to $43,914.
The dispatcher team has grown larger due to these efforts.
As a result, emergency call response times have seen incredible improvements. From July 2023 to April 2024, the percentage of calls answered within 10 seconds leapt from 57% to 84%. With the erection of the new 911 dispatch center, the city aims to increase that number to the national standard of 90%.
In pursuit of these goals, police and EMS dispatchers have already moved into a shared space, and the City is now hiring general public safety dispatchers trained to handle calls for police, firefighters, and EMS, rather than just one department.
This project also marks the final obligation of all remaining ARPA funds–just in time for the December 31st, 2024 deadline. The last $8,488,215.06 have been reappropriated to the 911 Dispatch Center, through a bill signed by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on Dec. 6, 2024.
“With this bill, every last cent of this federal funding will be spent on improving St. Louis, as promised,” says Mayor Jones.
We can’t imagine a better way to see ARPA dollars in action: saving lives.
Frequently asked questions
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion federal aid package passed by Congress in March, 2021 to provide financial aid to families, governments, businesses, schools, nonprofits and others impacted by the pandemic.
The City of Saint Louis was awarded $498 million in recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds represent a lifeline for thousands of families in our city who have been deeply impacted by the pandemic and resulting economic crisis. You can see how ARPA dollars are being distributed on the ARPA Funding Tracker.
Visit our American Rescue Plan Resource Guide. This is a one-stop shop where you’ll find all the programs currently available to you and your family. It includes instructions on how to apply.
Learn how to receive ARPA funding to power up your business or non-profit on our For My Business page.
Tens of thousands of families have benefitted from programs including direct cash payments, job training, health resources and free transportation. Explore available programs for you and your family.
All funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
Here is a list of our current and past RFPs.