Orange County Sheriff's Office responds to audit revealing 911 issues
The Brief
A new audit shows Orange County 911 calls often go unanswered for critical seconds.
In 2023, 61% of calls met state time standards last year, far below the 90% requirement.
Officials blame post-COVID staffing shortages, while residents call for regular oversight.
ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orange County couple's struggle to reach 911 during an emergency has reignited concerns over dispatcher response times, now backed by new data from the county's first-ever audit of its call center.
What we know
A new audit of Orange County's 911 call center reveals that the sheriff's office has consistently failed to meet Florida's emergency response standard, requiring 90% of calls be answered within 10 seconds.
In 2023, only 61% of calls met that mark. The problem, officials say, stems from a severe staffing shortage that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the number of dispatchers dropped by nearly half.
What we don't know
It remains unclear how long the sheriff's office was aware of the scope of the delays before launching the audit. There's also no timeline yet for when staffing and technological upgrades will be fully implemented or whether recent recruiting efforts have improved performance.
The backstory
The audit was prompted in part by public complaints, including a 2023 incident involving Cindy Sonne, whose husband collapsed at home. She said she made multiple calls to 911, waiting minutes for someone to answer. The audit is the first formal investigation into 911 response delays in the county.
Big picture view
The findings raise concerns about public safety and the reliability of emergency services in one of Florida's most populous counties. The issue affects not only residents of Orange County, but also neighboring counties whose emergency systems rely on coordination with Orange dispatchers.
What they're saying
The audit, released this week, found that the Orange County Sheriff's Office failed to meet state standards for emergency call response in recent years. Florida law requires 90% of 911 calls to be answered within 10 seconds.
"We knew for a little bit that we weren't meeting the 90%," a sheriff's office spokesperson said. "That kind of came after COVID when our staffing dropped significantly. We were down about 48% — which is about 75 to 80 dispatchers."
Cindy Sonne, who called 911 last year after her husband collapsed, said she waited minutes before speaking with a dispatcher — a delay she believes could have cost lives.
"They should know there is a problem, and there has been a problem for a very long time," Sunny said. "I was waiting a couple minutes with each call, wondering what the hell was going on."
A friend who also tried to call 911 from nearby Lake County said dispatchers there were unable to connect with Orange County's system during the emergency.
The sheriff's office says it has stepped up recruiting efforts since the audit began. Sunny, who has not had to call 911 again since her experience, says she remains uneasy.
"I hope I don't ever have to [call again], because I'm still afraid they're not going to answer the phone," she said.
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Office of the Orange County Comptroller.
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