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Denver Launches Search for New 911 Director as Answer Times Lag
Denver is seeking a new executive director for its 911 call center after Andrew Dameron departed to lead Jeffcom 9-1-1. The city faces declining emergency call answer times and plans to fill 10 vacant positions to improve performance.
Denver has begun searching for a new leader for its Emergency Communications department after Andrew Dameron left the top job to run Jeffcom 9-1-1, the city announced this week.
Dameron had served as executive director of Denver's 911 call center for six years. His departure leaves the department in the hands of an interim leader as the city works to reverse a decline in emergency call-answering performance.
Al Gardner, executive director of Denver's Department of Public Safety, said in a statement that the city is looking for a collaborative executive to guide the agency through a period of rapid technological change and rising demands.
"Our emergency communications systems are quickly evolving with advancing technology, increased demands, and new data integration," Gardner said. "We are looking for a collaborative executive who will champion our mission to ensure a safe city by building a workforce that is defined by purpose and commitment to innovation within emergency communications."
The incoming director will inherit a system that answered 77% of emergency calls within 15 seconds in 2025, down from 82% the previous year, according to city data. The decline occurred even as annual call volume fell from 1.87 million to 1.71 million.
Officials have partly attributed the slower response times to increased employee leave, which averaged 306 hours per employee in 2025, compared with 170 hours in prior years.
The city estimates that 85% of emergency calls will be answered within 15 seconds this year and has set a target of 88% for 2027, when call volume is projected to reach 1.82 million.
Dameron has previously said that hiring alone will not solve the problem. "We can't hire ourselves out of the ability to answer more quickly," he said.
During the city's 2027 budget process, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston agreed to fill 10 vacant positions at the 911 call center, using projected increases in revenue from the city's 911 surcharge. The hiring commitment comes as the city prepares for an increase in emergency call volume and seeks to improve the percentage of calls answered within 15 seconds.
Dameron started his new position at Jeffcom 9-1-1 last month. The city has not announced a timeline for selecting his replacement.