Re: 911:: Short staffing in patrol

[Guest guest]

My last 2 nights at work I have had 2 officers and a supervisor on patrol. On

Tue, I was in dispatch alone, last night had my new trainee with me. Both

nights, we have been slammed on the 1400-2200 shift! Tues, I got 2 calls for

armed subjects within about 15 mins of each other....and of course, this was

just after one officer located a car of 6 subjects at the FAR end of our city

jurisdiction and had requested both the other officer and the supervisor for

backup! Last night, things just never slowed down at all. An accident, called in

as injury turned out to be noninjury, followed in moments by an arson fire at a

trailer park,a dog bite, 2 snakes in the yard (officer just LOVED that call),

domestic and just TONS of alarm calls. At any given time, I would have 4 or 5

calls holding on the screen, and as soon as an officer went in service, he got

dispatched to the nearest/oldest call. By 2200, I was exhausted and apologized

to the trainee...we didnt get much done in training, last night was just

survival.

Freida

Currey wrote:

>

> Our evening shift has been short handed but we still have gotten the job

> done. On many evenings from

> 1600-2000 I will have a supervisor and four or five patrol officers.

>

> , just venting,Currey

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/15/00 12:56:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

fresca@... writes:

<< we didnt get much done in training, last night was just

survival. >>

sounds like your Trainee got a good nights worth in. they got to see you

handle all that. they also got to see that all that could be handled and not

lose their minds.

Tammy

[Guest guest]

<<snip>>

By 2200, I was exhausted and apologized

to the trainee...we didnt get much done in training, last night was just

survival.

Freida

<<snip>>

Actually Freida, that probably taught your trainee more than any training

you've done so far... You taught her that it CAN be done. Now you get down

to the business of teaching her HOW to do it.

Question: Did you trainee help you out? If so, wasn't he/she doing these

things on his/her own? Sorta like being let loose then. Confidence in your

own abilities is very hard to teach.

annette hallmark

ahallmark@...

[Guest guest]

>Our evening shift has been short handed but we still have gotten the job

done. On many evenings from

1600-2000 I will have a supervisor and four or five patrol officers.<

Not taking THP's part... I know state troops and dispatchers are not

always generous in taking calls from other agencies... but in my

district in Indiana it's very seldom we have more that one troop on

per county... and many times none....

I've work many a day shift with two or three units to cover six

counties.

During training times I sometimes have none.

Weintraut

[Guest guest]

Annette,

Yes, she did help..more than she realized, I think. She is really pretty good on

the phones, and on the " normal " things like alarm calls and such. She knows how

to run instate tags and DLs also....she is able to do a lot of the " run for

this, or run for that " that I couldnt do because of the traffic on the radio. I

told her today, in fact, when she was feeling blue about " not helping " out

yesterday, that she truly did help! Each of the " little " things she did, was one

less I had to do!The difference in this trainee and my last is amazing...she is

only about 3 or 4 weeks since hire on, and she is already getting the hang of

this stuff! She still has a way to go on the radio (ohhh I never ever realized

how hard it would be for someone with a REAL TN accent to do radio!! LOL), but

she is already very good on the phones...requires only an occassional nudge as

to the info to get. The CAD is coming along...although she is still a tiny bit

lost on some of the commands...but, she is doing very well...

Freida

Annette Hallmark wrote:

>

>

> Question: Did you trainee help you out? If so, wasn't he/she doing these

> things on his/her own? Sorta like being let loose then. Confidence in your

> own abilities is very hard to teach.

>

> annette hallmark

> ahallmark@...

>

[Guest guest]

Well, then, it was a GOOD training day! You can lose the feeling that it

was a wasted day. These are the best days, when they are able to utilize

the things that they already know, but realize the things they need to

learn. Motivates them to learn more.

Good job to you and her! I'm glad you have a good trainee.

You know, when it rains it pours. Last week, I couldn't GET a new

applicant. Now I have one application received, one just complete by a

friend of one of our dispatchers, and one very interested person who

promised they were leaving " right now " to fill out an application, PLUS one

who seemed really interested.

annette

<<snip>>

Annette,

Yes, she did help..more than she realized, I think. She is really pretty

good on

the phones, and on the " normal " things like alarm calls and such. She knows

how

to run instate tags and DLs also....she is able to do a lot of the " run for

this, or run for that " that I couldnt do because of the traffic on the

radio. I

told her today, in fact, when she was feeling blue about " not helping " out

yesterday, that she truly did help! Each of the " little " things she did, was

one

less I had to do!The difference in this trainee and my last is amazing...she

is

only about 3 or 4 weeks since hire on, and she is already getting the hang

of

this stuff! She still has a way to go on the radio (ohhh I never ever

realized

how hard it would be for someone with a REAL TN accent to do radio!! LOL),

but

she is already very good on the phones...requires only an occassional nudge

as

to the info to get. The CAD is coming along...although she is still a tiny

bit

lost on some of the commands...but, she is doing very well...

Freida

Annette Hallmark wrote:

>

>

> Question: Did you trainee help you out? If so, wasn't he/she doing these

> things on his/her own? Sorta like being let loose then. Confidence in

your

> own abilities is very hard to teach.

>

> annette hallmark

> ahallmark@...

>