Blog Article By: Sylvia Moore, PSAP Education Training Specialist (DSS Corporation)

“Landing on Life”
A showcase and appreciation of two dedicated and honorable Dispatchers

Often times, Dispatchers have numerous tasks going on at any given time. From listening to the radio in one ear, to listening to another person in the other ear. Inputting information, taking information, etc. The list of duties and responsibilities can be extensive. That’s why it’s important to showcase and appreciate the special skills and dedication that come with the fast pace life of a Dispatcher.

Quote of the Week- By: Joe Mosed, President (DSS Corporation)

“People are motivated by pain and pleasure. Research shows that the trauma of losing money is stronger than the pleasure of winning money. The same holds true for goals. ”
America is filled with rags to riches stories and typically these people make it because the pain of being broke and on the street was so horrible that they created financial success to avoid that pain. You may ask yourself – so what?

The right question is – How can I use this to my advantage to achieve what I want in life? If you have goals that you need to achieve and the compelling why to achieve them is strong enough then using a pain element can help. You can use the concept of an anti-charity to put your money where your mouth is.

“Be sure your brain is engaged before your mouth (or fingers) move”
Do you know what a permanent digital footprint is? Once you post something on Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace etc., it lives in cyberspace forever. This includes text messages on your phones and other types of communication. I don’t think people realize the level that this can hurt them.

I will keep this story anonymous to protect the stupid. An employee was texting from their work phone to another friend / customer about all kinds of fun things like smoking weed and porn pic analysis. The employee changed jobs and the phone was returned to the employer. Needless to say this all became public which turned into a big embarrassment and a career killer for the offender.

“Taking on Turnover”
Ways organizations and departments are helping to answer the call of Dispatch staffing shortages

A big concern in today’s law enforcement field is staffing. From the economy to technology, to stress, many factors have affected the staffing of dispatchers. Such factors include a drop in unemployment rates, higher technology usage, and increased levels of anxiety or stress. Job retention and recruitment also play a factor in dispatch employment.

New Dispatcher Handles Critical Incident
“When a citizen dialed 911 to report seeing a man with a gun, NORCOM (Bellevue, Wash.) dispatcher Kelly Stiefel had been in training for three months, and released to the floor for just 10 days. A trainer was plugged into the console with her, but Stiefel recalls the incident had her heart racing. Read her interview with a KING-TV reporter and view the video after the break.”

What Dispatchers do vs. what the public thinks they do?
“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”

These are words that nearly every person has heard at some point in their lives.  They invoke an array of different emotions for the person calling 911. Emotions such as panic, fear, safety, anxiousness, and many more can flood the minds of citizens. Many people see a dispatcher as simply the person who answers the phones.  A person who tells the police or firefighters where to go. Some may not see a dispatcher’s job as being difficult and do not understand the complexity of a dispatcher’s duties. They don’t see the unique set of skills and training that goes along with the job.

Joe Mosed, President (DSS Corporation) shared his weekend experience with his twin daughters.  He watched his twin daughters this past weekend and found out that slight edge behavior is absolutely required to be good at anything we do. He said “It was great but I am no substitute for their mother.   There are levels of expertise and I am a neophyte when it comes to watching kids.”

A recent Oakland County, Michigan Circuit Court case involved a grandmother, Sandra Layne, who was charged with the murder of her grandson, Jonathan Hoffman.  She was ultimately convicted of 2^nd Degree Murder for the shooting death.  The jury later said they were heavily influenced by the 911 call from Jonathan, in which he said his grandmother had shot him just prior to his call, and then again while he was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.  If you are a dispatcher or PSAP manager, it will come as no surprise to you that the 911 call came to be a very significant piece of evidence.