Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 I will have to agree with Weintraut. I would not recommend this job to my best friend or anyone that would come to me and want to become a dispatcher. It is a very stressful job. You work holidays, are away from your families, and their have been times in my career that I have missed important dates in seeing my family grow. I have noticed in my comm center the past few years all of sudden the DIVORCE rate for my dispatchers have grown. The hours have grown to include lots of Overtime in the past few years, We can't keep dispatchers, or they are here for 6 months and gone because of the stress and take the job. They leave and go to jobs that pay less, and are less stressful. In the last few years we have opened up applications and found out no one put in for the job, At one time we were down 16 dispatchers we are down 10 right now with a training class going on, if they all make it and don't drop out we will have 5 new trainees going throughout the CTO program in 2-3 weeks, and will have another class starting the 1st week of September if they all pas their testing. It is very hard to find competent dispatchers these days that can pass all the background checks and all the other tests that come with the job. and again sorry for the venting. Larry Tormey Supervisor Sedgwick County 911 Wichita, Ks e-mail: Ltormey@... (not necessary the views of my Comm Center) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 This is my career, when I first got hired in in 1977 we has just been approved by the local government agencies to work on a consolidated dispatch center so we could became a 911 center. I started at the sheriff's dispatch where at the time was the centralized location for the sheriff's department, The County run Fire dept, and the County EMS. We had three dispatchers per shift. Two for the sheriff's department, and 1 for both EMS and Fire. The sheriff's dispatcher responsibility was tracking sheriff's officer ad the small town local police dept officers and running record checks, NCIC and the other stuff, which to me was very exciting. Because the other old timers that were there did not like running anything that you had to use a keyboard to access. The EMS/Fire dispatcher had to juggle The 8 EMS POSTS and the 9 County Fire stations which at times very hectic. After about 8 months we were all moved over to the City of Wichita Police Dept dispatch Center, while they improved and expanded out old area into the new 911 center. We spend just about 1 1/2 years there. At this PD had 4 Dispatchers on duty, 3 to run the PD and one person for relief. We moved we were greeted by WPD officers that were running or dispatching for PD because they did something wrong or were on light duty and they were our supervisors. I spent 6 months there and was moved to the City Fire department dispatch center to learn how they did there work, so when we consolidated to the new center I could be the relief dispatcher for all the entities. I have enjoyed my work tremendous over the years. But I had not put my application in for dispatch, I had applied for the City fire dept. But since they had no opening and had openings for dispatchers and was needing them they asked if I would have any complaints about working for dispatch and as soon as the first opening came up they were transfer ne to the fire dept. Well the first opening came up 1-1/2 years after I started I told them, no I wanted to stay where i was, I was happy then, and for the most part I am still happy after 23 years, only have 7 more to go before I will retire. I have seen a lot of changes since 1977. We now have 5 PD dispatchers, 2 Fire dispatchers, 2 Sheriff dispatchers and 1 EMS dispatcher, with 1 extra or two to help answer phones. We tried having call taking positions about 10 years ago but could not keep enough warm bodies so we had to let that area go. The director has advised as soon as we get full staffed again ( ha! ha!), we will again have call-takers. We are also in the initial stages of trying to either redo our Comm center or going before the County Commission and asking for a new center. We have outgrown our current location. We have only 12 dispatch position, and 1 Supervisor's position. And on a good nigh we can have all 12 positions filled, has not happened in a blue moon, especially on my shift (Third). We are packed in our Comm Center like Sardines and when it is real busy, the noise levels go through the roof. The dispatch consoles are placed so close together if you are listening to a scanner you can hear the dispatcher next to the one that is working, you can hear dispatchers in the background either taking phone calls, or dispatching other calls. We currently have 64 positions but at this time we have 55 positions filled. And we still have lots of overtime. I just got done this week with working 16 hrs of overtime and that is drain on my body. Some dispatchers work 12 hrs work days, 4 hrs OT each day. Then the next week they will be sick a day or two recuperating from all the OT the week before. Such and vicious cycle. Larry Tormey Supervisor Sedgwick County 911 Wichita, Ks e-mail: Ltormey@... (not necessary the views of my Comm Center) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 I want to add a little to my crybaby rant.... I've been a dispatcher for over 27 years, over 21 of them with the Indiana State Police.... I've risen to the level of supervisor... and make enough to live... I'm proud of the work I've done... I'm proud to say I work for the Indiana State Police.... But in all honesty... I'm going to have a job opening at my post in about two weeks. I would not recommend the job to anyone. Sad, but true... Weintraut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 When I get the infrequent request of " How are you today, Lyn " from the Chief, the answer is always " Upright and mobile " . They can't argue with that. Lyn magik@... 911:: Warm Body > >....(it's what we call the " warm body " theory, > if the heart is beating and it doesn't fall out of the chair, it is capable > of dispatching)< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 Hey!!!! I used to be a switchboard operator and a first class receptionist, by golly, and I could do a dozen things at once....they just weren't as important as they are now. Lyn magik@... Re: 911:: Warm Body .. It ain't a switchboard operator's > job and it requires a bit of maturity and coping skills and the ability to > juggle a lot of different things at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2000 Report Share Posted July 30, 2000 On Sun, 30 Jul 2000 at 11:36:25 EDT, Ltormey@... wrote: > > > I will have to agree with Weintraut. > > I would not recommend this job to my best friend or > anyone that would come to me and want to become > a dispatcher. It is a very stressful job. You work holidays, > are away from your families, and their have been times > in my career that I have missed important dates in seeing > my family grow. I have noticed in my comm center the past > few years all of sudden the DIVORCE rate for my dispatchers > have grown. Well, far be it for me, an expatriate Hoosier, to disagree with a current resident and employee of the Great State of Indiana. I appear to be in the minority, here, but I would and have recommended the job to a few people. I don't do so on a wholesale basis. I am careful to point out the reality of the job. It ain't a switchboard operator's job and it requires a bit of maturity and coping skills and the ability to juggle a lot of different things at once. The stress can be high, but there are ways to cope and compesate for that. A lot of jobs anymore you have to work holidays and even strange hours. Divorce rates are high in the population generally. I've done other things and I've seen more people wash out or quit in frustration in this field than the others in which I've worked. But if you are realistic about the job and if you have the requisite skills, it is a good job and one in which you can take quiet satisfaction. It's important to look at the agency as well as at your own skills. Some places are just bad places to work. Others are good for others but would be bad for you. I like what I do and I like where I do it right now, and I would recommend the job without hesitation to someone with the interest and the working skills and the coping skills to deal with its aggrevations. -jackie Jackie McElroy y Creek Fire Dept. Walt Disney World, Florida (I speak for me and only me.) http://www.reedycreekdispatch.webservepro.com http://sites.netscape.net/mcjackie/ mailto:mcjackie@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 >It's important to look at the agency as well as at your own skills. Some places are just bad places to work. Others are good for others but would be bad for you. When I was talking about not recommending anyone to this type of work..... Sadly, I was referring to my own department. At one time Dispatchers, including myself, started working at a city or county department... gained some experience and then started trying to get on the State Police... Now it's just the opposite... we train them and they head for other departments.... Our department has let us get so far behind in equipment, training, wages, benefits... all categories.. I simply would not recommend working for our department to anyone. That's not to say I won't retire and head to y Creek... (grin) Weintraut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2000 Report Share Posted August 2, 2000 On Mon, 31 Jul 2000 00:19:27, Lyn wrote: > > Hey!!!! I used to be a switchboard operator and > a first class receptionist, by golly, and I could do > a dozen things at once....they just weren't as > important as they are now. Well, I've never had a job where I was called a switchboard operator but I have worked a switchboard as part of my jobs. And I have never held the title of receptionist, but I've been an access control officer at a secured facility and I've been an office manager and I've worked as a program assistant to a program manager which meant I performed the functions of receptionist, secretary, admin assistant, and general gofer. I meant no affornt. However, no matter what the multitasking requirements of those jobs, there is a qualitative difference between doing those things and being an emergency services dispatcher. Time constraints are more vividly felt. being in charge of my office meant I set the timelines with certain program parameters. If I had to put someone on hold or had to tell them I couldn't deal with their issue right then but that I would call them back in 20 minutes so they could have my undivided attention, I could do so with impunity --- and foten did. I don't find myself doing that much when I'm on shift in the comm center. It was the qualitative difference there I was pointing out. -jackie Jackie McElroy y Creek Fire Dept. Walt Disney World, Florida (I speak for me and only me.) http://www.reedycreekdispatch.webservepro.com http://sites.netscape.net/mcjackie/ mailto:mcjackie@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2000 Report Share Posted August 2, 2000 On Mon, 31 Jul 2000 at 05:35:43, Weintraut wrote: > > When I was talking about not recommending anyone to this > type of work..... Sadly, I was referring to my own department. You are right. That is a sad thing. I can say that with authority because I've been there and not all that long ago, either. It is particularly profound, however, because this is the Indiana State police you are talking about. > Our department has let us get so far behind in equipment, > training, wages, benefits... all categories.. As I said, profoundly sad. I remember those days. Everyone looked to the state police for the standard. Have a question about anything, from the law to how to make the proper felony stop to how to properly format a teletype msg to what kind of equipment to get for about anything ---- ask the state police. They had the answers. And they had the answers because they had the experience and had dealt with the issue and done the appropriate research. It just didn't get any better or more authoritative. ISP was out in front; the rest of teh agencies in the state were always trying to catch up or use ISP's services and/or equipment. > That's not to say I won't retire and head > to y Creek... (grin) We could always use another Hoosier around here. ºoº I'm the only one. It's pitiful. -jackie Jackie McElroy y Creek Fire Dept. Walt Disney World, Florida (I speak for me and only me.) http://www.reedycreekdispatch.webservepro.com http://sites.netscape.net/mcjackie/ mailto:mcjackie@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2000 Report Share Posted August 4, 2000 snip >When I was talking about not recommending anyone to this type of work..... Sadly, I was referring to my own department. <snip Well it seems from all the responses we are all pretty much in the same shape. I have to say I wouldn't recomend my job to anyone (not anyone i like anyway...haha).I just recently had a friend inquire about a job here and even turned in an application. Then I invited her to join me for a shift so she could see what it was all about. She seemed truly interested in the work but after explaining all the hours of " MANDATORY OVERTIME " , kissing all your holidays and weekends goodbye,rarely getting more than one day off a week,never seeing your family,etc etc (we all know how it is) she found a job somewhere else. And this whole " warm body thing " ....I was working with one the other night and I can tell you I would have been better off all by my lonesome. I was so stressed by the time I left work you would have thought I had worked and officer involved shooting. I just don't get it, we have awesome pay here (dispatchers start at 18 something an hour) ,excellant benefits, and if we were up to staff it would solve 99.9% of our moral problems. I'm sure there is someone out there that is competent enough to do this job. I've been at it for 10years and I'm no genius, I'm sure there is someone out there that can do this job!!!!! Why can't we find any good dispatchers???!!! Ok,sorry this started out as a short response and turned into a long venting...thanks for listening. Woodrow Dispatcher Law Enforcement Support Agency Tacoma,Wa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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