Re: 911:: State Dispatchers (long)

[Guest guest]

>I think Weintraut will even agree with me here because I think his

post is kind of similar. Correct me if I'm wrong Weintraut, but I think

I've seen you mention this before in some of your posts.<

Well, I'll agree and disagree....

Our situation as State Police has certainly changed with the advent

of 9-1-1.

We do not receive the calls that we once received, for the simple reason

that people call 9-1-1.

Some of our post are the 9-1-1 PSAP for a county or two in

their district, but that is rare.

It's true that many if not all of our post are short handed. We usually

start with an academy class of 50 and this past class only 28

made it. That's not 2 units per post. These 28 recruits will

be scattered all over the state and many will end up on the Riverboats.

It is mandated by law in Indiana that State Police have a presence on

these boats.

With promotions, retirements and specialization the number of units

" on the road " seems to grow smaller. So many times we do not

have the units we need to help the counties on the calls they

receive. And at times have to ask the counties to take some

of the everyday calls we receive due to our shortage.

Nothing would be better for any dispatcher than to have a unit to

send to every call at the time it's received... but that's not reality

and probably never will be.

Here's where I think the conflict comes between county and

state personnel.

The smaller 9-1-1 centers (at least where I live) have a mind set that

when a call comes in on 9-1-1... it has to be taken care of RIGHT NOW!

It may be a property damage accident, a theft report, a motor check,

something very minor... A dispatcher in one of these centers may

call and ask us to take the call... If we don't have anyone close,

or if we have only the one unit working... we think... " this is a minor

call that can be taken care of in order of priority "

Remember... we get calls also and if we have a unit working, we

like to " save " that unit to respond to the calls we receive.

If this call is something that needs " immediate " attention, at least

at our post, we will get someone there.

Another thing to keep in mind... don't blame the dispatcher. These

decisions on whether to call someone out, send a unit from another

county or simply let the call wait are not made by the dispatcher. They

are being made by whoever is " post commander " at the time.

And be specific.. don't just ask, " is anyone working in our county? "

If there is not... you'll receive the answer no...

Tell them what you have...We may have a unit in another county

that is close.. or a unit due out shortly..

Here's where I disagree....

>But in my area of

the state, our state police post answer's cellular 9-1-1 calls, passes the

information to the appropriate county and that's it.<

In my district we are a " full service " agency for most of the counties

which we serve... the calls go into 9-1-1 and they take care of most

of them... however... in five of the six counties we serve when the

really " hot " calls come in we respond and most of the time end up

working the detail. Murders, robbery, major assaults, drugs (right now

it seems we are doing 2 or 3 meth labs a week) anything major.

We have a detective in every county. We have a fixed plane

aircraft at our post, Emergency Response Team two crime

scene technicians and the regional lab for the southwest corner

of the state is located at our post.

We are also the headquarters for South Region command.

So... when the " big " calls hit.. my dispatchers are very busy.

If you want one call after another... night after night... a 9-1-1

center in a fair size or large city is where you need to be.

We will never be as busy as most 9-1-1 centers.

But we are not just traffic and sometimes it still gets pretty exciting.

" Whew " ... Take that ... You're not the only one who likes

to " talk " ... (grin)

Weintraut

[Guest guest]

<<In Indiana are you allowed to call a unit out from their meal break on a

personal injury accident>>

Here at the Leavenworth County Sheriff a Deputy works a 8 hour shift. He

gets paid to work 8 hours but is allowed to take breaks when time permits.

If he is on meal break and a call comes in, any call, he is expected to take

it. The FLSA only states a employer is obligated to pay you for the time you

work. It is a benefit to allow someone to take a break and not be called

out. If your employer wants to get nasty they can dock your pay if you

refuse to go on a call when called out because you are on break. Its a

matter of politics.

Doug from Leavenworth

[Guest guest]

A question for ,

In Indiana are you allowed to call a unit out from their meal break on a

personal injury accident.

From what I have been told and experienced in Tn. they do not call our

troopers out, they hold

the call until they are clear from their break. What is frustrating is to

have three troopers working

and they are all out at the same restaurant.

We don't mind taking their slack most of the time, but THP requires that if

there is a commercial

vehicle involved they have to work it. It's difficult when my unit has to

wait a lengthy period of time

for a trooper due to this. I can understand short staffing and having to

bring a trooper in from

another county but this is kind of bad for relations, especially with the

number of rookie officers

we have. " What's the eta on THP? "

Just a question, no jab.

I wouldn't like dispatching on a state basis, solely because of the size of

jurisdiction and not having

the physical knowledge of the area that I have now. I like to have a fairly

decent idea of where my

guys are going.

[Guest guest]

>In Indiana are you allowed to call a unit out from their meal break on a

personal injury accident.

Yes we can call them out for any call. If it's not an emergency they usually

finish their break before responding. This has been made easier since

now every road unit has a state furnished cell phone and are required

to have it with them when working... This was done due to our very

poor radio equipment.

When I was talking about " calling them out " I was really referring to

calling them out early for their shift... or calling them out on their

day off... We can do that also... Try very hard not to.

Weintraut

[Guest guest]

I worked as a Dispatcher for State Police for 22 years. I

had never heard such whining in my life. Somewhere along

the line somebody told the troopers in my troop when they

went to work they wouldn't have to work accidents!. Nobody

told them that but they sure acted like it. When they

wanted to be a TROOPER, with the Smokey hat, and leather

with the suicide strap and the new shiny car, they signed a

form that said they would work at any time, any place, on

any assignment no matter what. Well I use to have to remind

them sometimes of that form they signed. One trooper came

into the Hdq. one day, and it was hot, hot, summer time. He

had worked 3 accidents and he was complaining about it being

so hot that the polish on his boots was melting, I said I

know what you mean trooper I had to get up and turn the

thermostat down three times on the air conditioner. WELL

that did it, he lost it, started ragging me out about this

that and the other, I mean he went ballistic!!.

He lost 2 days off for that little fit. They signed the

form to be a trooper, so get out there and do trooper work.

They acted like the Dispatchers caused the accidents so they

would have to go work them. And we don't make up the

assignments, they have Sgt. LT. and Capt. that do that. If

your the only trooper working in 3 counties it is not our

doings.

I chose to work inside where it is cool in the summer and

warm in the winter.

[Guest guest]

>The state Dispatchers I've worked with have all been good, as long as I tell

them the situation, they're willing to work with me. Sometimes I think it's

who you are that matters, as long as you have a good working relationship,

they'll go that extra mile to help out.<

I think that true in most cases. I don't know how it is in every state

but please keep in mind the dispatcher may not be making these

decisions... It's the post commander...

I know in my post, if the dispatchers could make the decisions

things would be a lot different.

Weintraut

[Guest guest]

This sounds familiar.. When we have an accident or something along the

Interstate, we consider it to be in the State Patrol's jurisdiction. If the

Troopers are out eating, they won't be called out unless it's a major injury

accident. If we don't have a Deputy available, we have to call them out

from their meal or from home (sometimes 0430) and they're not happy campers.

The state Dispatchers I've worked with have all been good, as long as I tell

them the situation, they're willing to work with me. Sometimes I think it's

who you are that matters, as long as you have a good working relationship,

they'll go that extra mile to help out. I've always had a good working

relationship with our state Dispatchers, unlike some of my co-workers...and

they're the ones who can't get the Troopers out of a meal... I've also been

well respected by the Troopers in our area, and they know if I request them

to be called out of a meal, it's for a reason, not just out of spite... It

sure helps to have a little equal give and take on that respect stuff!

Jenni

www. Jen911.com

ICQ: 10336819

----- Original Message -----

From: XGCC--Balint,

To: <911consoleegroups>

I'm not in Indiana...but I also seem to notice a trend with our OSP

units...if their units are eating or in roll call, they try to give the call

to us dispatching the County.. The only problem is, county units are eating

or in roll call also. What's wrong with the state taking the call and,

either pulling a trooper off of lunch, or holding the call for him until he

is finished eating.

Greene Central Communications, OH

[Guest guest]

>However, there is still a HUGE geographic area handled

by very few units on patrol. So, some calls just

naturally have an extended ETA, which has nothing to

do with officers on meal breaks or a resident post

officers enjoying a day off. There just aren't enough

of 'em to " blanket " the state.

Exactly.. and I don't think that other agencies realize how

understaffed we are.

As I said earlier... we are understaffed now... only 28 Troopers

graduated from the last academy. That's 28 new Troopers for

91 counties in the State of Indiana... And some of those 28 will

end up on Riverboats.

And then there's radio... I only have one dispatcher on per shift...but

I only have five dispatchers to cover 24/7.

I just lost one dispatcher to the academy... that leaves four dispatchers

to cover radio 24 hours per day... When I ask for one more dispatcher

to help during training/vacations/sick leave... they say.... Sorry, you're

only allotted 5.

Sometimes bureaucratic thinking drives me nuts!

Weintraut

[Guest guest]

--- wrote:

> >In Indiana are you allowed to call a unit out from

> their meal break on a

> personal injury accident.

>

> Yes we can call them out for any call. If it's not

> an emergency they usually

> finish their break before responding.

-------<snip>-------

CHP officers are paid for their meal breaks. In the

past (previous contract) they were not paid for 'em,

if they were taken from their meal break, they could

claim overtime for it. That meant we would scramble

to get an adjacent unit to handle the call, UNLESS it

was absolutely necessary.

Now, they get their meal break but are PAID for the

time, calculated right into the number of shift hours

per day, so it doesn't matter at all - and we DO yank

'em out for calls. They may, as mentioned,

finish up their breaks before responding to

non-emergency calls, or finagle another unit to take

'em for 'em...

And as for " call-out " early or on days off, that's at

a field supervisor's discretion. Our resident post

officers are more subject to this requirement than the

regular officers, though. It's quite common to get a

call when they're off duty and a call comes down in

their area; the sergeant will decide whether or not an

extended ETA best serves the situation or a call-out

of an off-duty resident post officer on overtime is

the way to handle it.

We call 'em out a lot, by the way.

However, there is still a HUGE geographic area handled

by very few units on patrol. So, some calls just

naturally have an extended ETA, which has nothing to

do with officers on meal breaks or a resident post

officers enjoying a day off. There just aren't enough

of 'em to " blanket " the state.

=====

Happy to be here, proud to serve.

Olmstead

http://www.gryeyes.com

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

>Someone said troopers don;t want to

work in my county

due to the number. Well excuse me but when you take the job you work

where you are sent,

at least thats the way I learned it. In the good old days a trooper

could only choose his assignment<

In Indiana troopers sign a paper before they go to the academy

that they are willing to work any where in the state.

After a period of time (I believe it's two years) they can put in

to transfer to another part of the state. However, that post

must have an opening...

Our post finally got three new troopers today... showed up

spit and polish.. even called me sir...

I growled at them a couple of times... Newbies sure are fun. (grin)

Weintraut