Vulnerability of the Public Safety System: Evidence from Micro-Shocks

The 911 system, a vital component of public safety in the United States, responds to over 210 million emergency calls each year. We examine the effect of small exogenous public health stressors -- pollen emissions -- on the operation of the 911 call system. We find that a 100% increase in pollen levels -- the modal day-over-day variation we observe in our data -- results in six additional 911 calls per day. The authors of the paper presented in this ZEW Research Seminar further show that elevated pollen levels influence the quality of emergency and non-emergency response. The findings suggest that common and small shocks may lead to under-provision of valuable services to communities.