Problem with a dispatcher

[slim202cop]

Originally posted by DC Law
Hey, I had a dispatcher once when I worked as a paramedic in Detroit who almost got my partner and I killed one night.

(OK, our bad judgement precipitated things, but still...)

We got a run just before end of shift for a woman and child assaulted by the woman's baby's daddy. We should have waited for police to make the scene, but we knew they were going in for shift change and wouldn't be around for a while. We wanted to go home, so we asked if the attacker was still there. reply was that he was gone. We said we were going to go in, since we figured we'd just scoop her and the kid up and go. Dispatcher F. said that there was no police available. We acknowledged and went in, figuring it should be a cake run to just pick the patients up and go.

We made patient contact, got mom and baby into our truck, and my partner had just gone around to the driver's door to pull us off when baby's daddy showed back up and snatched open the door of the patient compartment. He cusses the woman and says he'll kill her for calling the cops on him. Then he steps up into the truck as I rise from my jump seat to block him and put him back out of the truck. He reeks of alcohol and PCP and I knew right there that we had trouble.
I shove him out of the truck, but he grabs me and we both tumble out into the street. My partner runs arond to grab him off of me, and for a minute we have him under control.
Then the five knuckleheads on the porch across the street see the two white guys tussling with their pal and it's on big time, six to two.
I manage to reach up into the truck cab as the real fight begins and hit the "EMERGENCY" button on the MDT. This sends a message to Dispatch that we've got major trouble. BUt rather than put out the priority call to police, dispatcher F. just starts calmly calling us on the radio: "Impact One, your Emergency light is on. Do you have a problem, Impact One? Station to Impact One..."

Meanwhile, I've been swinging my mag-lite into people full-focre until finally it was knocked from my hands and it rolled under the truck. I grabbed my portable radio and struck the closest attacker in the face with it, then keyed it and shouted: "Impact One's Code 2000! We need some help here now!" Code 2000 meant assault on the crew and again, poplice should have been sent priority right there. But dispatcher F. comes back with: "Impact One, Why are you even on that scene? I told you earlier there were no police available. You shouldn't even be there."
Adrenaline-charged, I shouted back into the radio: "You better find some, ************! We're getting killed here!"
Then I struck a guy with the radio one time too many and broke the battery pack off. Communications were out except for the truck-mounted radio which neither of us could get to.
Now at this point, every unit in the city on EMS frequency heard the exchange. Other units started heading over to help us out. Within a minute or so (Seemed like hours), we had another ambulance out, a fire truck full of firefighters, and a police undercover car, and everyone was in the mix in the middle of the street. Then a police Tactical unit screeched up and the two or three bad guys still able to walk bolted and ran. Tac chased one into a nearby house and dealt with him, and the scene pretty much calmed down as the bad guys were subdued. My partner and I were both injured in the fight, so we took our two patients into the hospital then we got checked in as patients. Then I found out from another dispatcher and my supervisor that the police never actually got called to that run but only came because they heard it via our radio exchange. Seems Dispatcher F. put down his radio when I told him to get us some police and he spent the next two minutes writing me up for calling him a "************" on the radio. He didn't even bother calling for police or anyone else to help us out.

So a bit later, when our Chief came to the hospital to check on us and make sure we were ok, I told him straight out that as soon as I got out, I was going down to Communications to have it out with F. I told him what had gone on, and the Chief pulled F's write-up on me personally and counselled him on appropriate emergency proceedures.

I've never been able to completely trust Dispatchers again after that, even though I know that most of them are damned good at what they do.

I am just horrified to read what you had to go through because of that dispatcher.

Well you're in DC like myself. You know how sensitive the dispatcher issue has become as of late in this city. Dispatchers(and COPS who were at the call center) are still being fired behind that fatal house fire in Dupont Circle back in January. I have no doubt that the dispatcher in your incident would've been CANNED with the quickness if he was in DC.

[0pusX]

I was a dispatcher for close to 4 years and I was told on several occasions that the officers loved having me on their shift. I received excellent evaluations from my Sgt's and the Captain.

The point is, I think that the reason I did my job so well was because I was a reserve offcier for 5 yeras prior to being in dispatch. I knew how the officers wanted their info given to them and I knew what they needed, what was too much, what they didnt care about knowing.

I think every dispatcher shoudl be on the road for at least 1 year before going into dispatch.

[sgtbear111]

I did the comm job for 2 years before getting a sworn position. I was treated like a dummy or a errand boy by some immature Line Officers who treated all Comm people that way, and I did not like it either. In fairness, it goes both ways.

From the Comm point of view, it's stress from all directions, short on positive feedback, lower pay, perhaps no career track and maybe working for a commissioned siupervisor who is off the road for some reason, doesnt know the job, and doesnt care.

Do your Comm Officers double as Jail staff ? How much do your Comm Officers get paid ? Do they get formal training? Do they have a career path ? When there are awards for good work, are your Comm people recognized? What kind of place do they work in ? Well lighted and ventilated ? Do they get breaks or lunch time far away from the console? When the good deals come around, do your Comm people get the same opportunity as the Line ? Can your dispatchers get dept. support and funding to attend the Calibre Press or other good training? Does your Comm Center have a high employee turnover? Do your Comm people get stuck with a lot of unrelated paperwork or admin tasks?

Comm Centers need experienced and professional Comm supervision. Does yours promote from within ? Radio discipline and accountability goes through the Comm Supervisors, and Line Sergeants. But the Chief or Sheriff has to provide leadership in fixing a problem, the change needs to come from the top. Line officers and Comm Officers must understand each other, because "turf" and "personality" games will get people (officers and citizens) killed. Comm Officers should ride with Line Officers to see the beat. Is your Comm Center short-handed, is there mandatory overitime. Do the Comm Officers have to work OT on days off, or come back after an 8 or 10 hours "day off". ??

Line Officers should work some shifts in the Comm Center. You will experience the confinement and stress of the radio room, plus the ever busy phones and sift some of the tragedy and panic, the confusion, and then the stupid crap from the public (being always polite) on the phone lines. Try to keep track of several mobiles and the brass while you have to go look up a record, confirm a warrant in another state, or the NCIC, DMV ot NLETS terminal is down, or the data-link system to the mobile's MCN is down. Then toss in some bad weather, road construction, and a weekend night with a full moon, and major public events in town.

Then there are the emergencies: "officer need help", a pursuit, or a Comm officer gives CPR instructions over the phone, or takes the first few minutes on the phone with a hostage taker while locating the negotiator, the shiftSgt,. paging the SWAT Commander, and trying to tell the Shift LT you dont have all the details yet. When the Comm center closes the air for "emergency traffic only"., does your dept have a backup PD or SO to cover your traffic while an emergency goes down elsewhere in your jursidiction ? When something really bad happens out there, if an officer/firefighter/EMT is hurt, the Comm Officer will suffer the same emotional injuries as those on scene. A good Comm Officer "is there", always.

No excuse for unprofessional performance, at either end of the radio link. I have had my *** saved by some good Comm Officers, and there are others I was glad to see go back to some other line of work.

[Island_Girl]

Originally posted by 0pusX

I think every dispatcher shoudl be on the road for at least 1 year before going into dispatch.

I agree whole-heartedly. I think the only problem would be the fact that many that joined the department to dispatch might be swayed to stay on the beat during that one year. :p

[Stump]

Originally posted by 0pusX
I think every dispatcher shoudl be on the road for at least 1 year before going into dispatch.

Oh, heck no!!! I have absolutely no desire to carry a gun or be a cop. First of all, there is too much training to go through for it to be economically feasible, and by the time I would be useful, that year would be up. I signed on to be a dispatcher, and that's what I want to be.
When in training, we are forced to do ridealongs, and we do them still when we have an excess of people on staff.
I think the opposite - every cop should sit in with dispatchers for a week - all shifts. No cop can learn how to dispatch or answer phones in a short time, so it would be observation only. Every cop I have had sitting with me has been amazed at the multi-tasking, communication, and memory skills that we have.
I get raves from my officers and bosses and I was never a cop, so I guess it depends on the person.

[metallicat]

Instead of going on a ride-along, I would love to go to communications where the dispathing goes on, I would love to see how things work.

[0pusX]

I like the idea of having dispacthers doing ride-alongs. Thats great.

Also at the small depatrment where I worked on the dispatchers days off the officers worked the Comm. room. SO they realized just how hectic it could get in there.

[Island_Girl]

Stump, also very good ideas. I think ride-alongs would serve the purpose just as well. Is this a requirement for most departments? If not, it should be. Also, the idea of officers having to go into the communications area to see how things are done would, in return, give them an idea of just how stressful your job is too.

I know a couple of dispatchers in the VI that could have benefitted from such an exercise.

[metallicat]

I think, but am not positive, that all officers here must have a stint is dispatch after being on the street for awhile.

[navyfiveo]

I hate to see problems with dispatchers. They sit behind their consoles all night and are able to laugh and joke and have A/C and all of the creature comforts we only wish for on a hot hot hot summer day.

Dispatchers(NOT ALL, I HAVE WORKED WITH VERY GOOD ONES, and I am sure STUMP is a GREAT Dispatcher)but a great deal of them do not realize HOW IMPORTANT they are to us. They are our life lines and are often never told how much we appreciate them and from time to time they get a little disgruntled.

If it were me, now of course I am no longer a civilian LEO, well at least until next month, I would have a one on one with her. Tell her how important she is to mission accompolishment and tell her that you appreciate her being there for you. I would ALMOST bet that you will see a change in her.

[locokarma]

I know this is a tad late- but I wanted to add that I agree with the majority of what has been posted. Sadly, it takes one rotten apple to make the whole bunch rotten.
I've been doing this for 10 years, and even tho' it's frustrating and stressful at times.... I do understand the importance of taking care of the officers out there. Granted, there will always be a bad apple here and there... but not all of us are that way.
I love my job.. and will always take it seriously and professionally.


just my 2....

[CXT_180]

Originally posted by locokarma
I know this is a tad late- but I wanted to add that I agree with the majority of what has been posted. Sadly, it takes one rotten apple to make the whole bunch rotten.

Exactly. Fortunately, most of my experiance with dispatchers has been good. I was fortunate enough to work in the city where state radio communications-Pierre, is located. (They dispatch for most of the eastern half of my state, They do dispatching for all the state agencies . )
I would occasionally stop in to dispatch just to chat or pick up teletype copied of DL checks and Triple-I's that I had run before arresting the person.
Hence, I am on a first name basis with all the dispatchers, they know who I am so I am not just a number on the radio.Obviously, this would not be possible if I didn't work in the same city, you could be hundreds of miles from your dispatcher.
There is one dispatcher that just hated me. It was like I was asking him to run a marathon every time I wanted a plate check or called in a traffic stop. It helped me to just give it to him right back using my most polite voice and "10-4, thanks" ALL the time. I'm sure it sounded very smart-a$$ given HIS tone, etc. Which was kind of the point, I guess.*shrug*

I WISH I had the tape of radio logs from my pursuit which he dispatched. (You'd think when you call in with the siren wailing in the background, at 3:00am it MIGHT spark a little intrest, instead it was like "(audible sigh)....and a *long* drawn out, PR152....."
"In pursuit of reckless driver southbound on road x speeds exceeding 100mph, also believe possible 10-16H and 10-29H( NCIC and local warrants)..vehicle is etc..."
The standard "oh now you've pissed me off" "10-4." (and that was IT) A Trooper finally suggested we declare emergency traffic only on Interagency channel.
You get the picture.


I won't bother with other dispatcher horror stories I guess, although there are a few...

[mcsap]

When I started doing FTO in '91 , I was given a free hand to do what I wanted ( including writing a training guide. I instituted going to the county jail and to our 911 dispatch center for a shift. We rarely go to the jail anymore ( constables do most of our transports) and NEVER go to the 911 center. I talked to dispatchers for years without ever seeing them ! Anyway , I let the rookie stay there for a shift and even dispatch a little. It gives them a feel for the person on the other side of the radio, how they work and why they keep calling us on a friggin' traffic stop !! Jus' kidding Stump !