Re: 911:: Dispatcher Suspended in wake of death

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 01/18/2001 12:26:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,

COURNOYERB@... writes:

> <<Circle the wagons all you want, but if you are unwilling to take a

> realistic view of the condition of your wagon, you are living in a fool's

> paradise.>>

>

>

By the way, Marcia, God help you if you make a mistake (and by the way, we

don't know that this young lady did). We are all in precarious situations

daily. Things happen. I just refuse to judge until I have all the

facts...and even then, judgement is not for me to pass.

[Guest guest]

Rich wrote

<< of course mistakes happen and of course there are two sides to a story

and i

too am anxiously waiting to hear more details. i don't necessarily trust

the media to get the details right..especially about something like this.>

Neither do I -- look at all the recent media on CHP lately -- all the gloom

and doom -- including the wrong number of people transported initially, not a

word about being back in the center and what a great job dispatch is doing

under some really bad conditions. One TV news person the other day was great

- she was wonderful. I had one earlier in the day sticking their mike in my

face during a very emotional call, even put the camera on the person's name

on my screen -- this other one backed off a discrete distance on an emergency

call that was touchy and waited till I had a slight pause before telling me

" I couldn't do your jobs, I just couldn't do what you guys do " ...... but I

haven't seen a news story on just WHAT we do.

< but, that said...just because she has been suspended (and we don't know if

that is with or without pay) does not mean she is guilty. >

No it doesn't -- and who said " suspended " .... sometimes people are hit

really hard by something like that and need some admin time off to grieve and

get through their own self-recriminations. All the " woulda,shoula, coulda's "

and second guessing must be tearing her apart no end.

Amy wrote:

< And if the dispatcher is found to be completely clear of any misdoing, I

guarantee that it won't be newsworthy. >

Yes, I doubt we'll see anyting about it.

<Well, of course the tapes and 9-1-1 printouts were reviewed. >

Thank goodness for the tapes -- some people think they are so intrusive but I

also know some people they've saved -- and not just on the other side of teh

phone.

[Guest guest]

thank you for the real side of it, .

Too many times dispatchers are treated improperly and unfairly because of

politics, the media, gossip, etc.

in her case, from what I can gather, there are too many questions that have

been left unanswered in regards to the situation, circumstances,

available officers,

and I agree with the person that said that she might have known the caller,

possibly being a regular prankster.

I, myself, had been on the wrong end of a call something like this, although

not as spectacular or life threatening.

Mine was over a lost dog that was in custody, and the officers did not

respond to pick the dog up, and the complaintant called a Congressman's

office regarding it, and I ended up at the end of the wrong side of the

proverbial stick, because of the way the call was handled.

so, I know how she might feel.

and its nice to see there are still some impartial people out there, that

would take other factors into consideration before passing judgement.

[Guest guest]

This must be an Iowa thing.. same here scott, No SOP, no procedures for

training, and so on and so on..Our newest part-timer was on the radio 20

minutes after she started. She does have some experience, she dispatches for

Mercy Air Life, but come on, thats alittle to soon 20 min. We seem to have a

hard time keeping part-timers, as far as that gos we have a hard time getting

people to apply. I know the solution, and Im sure all you do too!

anyway, Its friday and Im sure glad. Have a good week everyone!

KEEP THEM SAFE!

Dallas County Sheriffs Office

Adel, Iowa

jamicans@...

(these posts are my opinions and my opinions only)

writes:

> This is the ONE problem we have at our station. No SOP, no

> procedures for training, just throw the newbie with someone for a

> while, then someone else and then someone else. By the end this

> person is so confused I am almost certain that they can't do

> anything at all on the panel.

>

> More and more at the state level we get new people with no

> dispatch training at all. In fact our latest person who came to us

> from Illinois, thought he was going to be playing records.

>

>

KEEP THEM SAFE!

Dallas County Sheriffs Office

Adel, Iowa

jamicans@...

(these posts are my opinions and my opinions only)

[Guest guest]

> No, it isn't a perfect world that we work in. Still, there is, even in the

> absence of SOPs and/or a more tenured employee, an officer reachable by phone

> or radio that we can advise of " iffy " situations. It doesn't take long to do

> so, and as most centers are recorded (phones and radio) it definitely

> prevents us from being the target of that stuff rolling down the hill.

> Marcia

> ********************************************************************

This is the ONE problem we have at our station. No SOP, no

procedures for training, just throw the newbie with someone for a

while, then someone else and then someone else. By the end this

person is so confused I am almost certain that they can't do

anything at all on the panel.

More and more at the state level we get new people with no

dispatch training at all. In fact our latest person who came to us

from Illinois, thought he was going to be playing records.

The city/county stations have upgraded their pay and benefits to far

surpass the state operations. Those days of taking the best &

brightest from city/county stations are long gone.

Iowa State Patrol Communications Cedar Rapids

Werling, Anamosa, IA AOL IM Ridgeroader

mailto:scott@...

http://www.jonescountytourism.com

http://www.ia.net/~anachamb/pumpkin.html

http://www.thehungersite.com (feed someone)

http://www.earthsat.com/iowa/winter.html Iowa road conditions

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Nope, it seems to be an " I " state thing. It's the same here in Illinois at

times.

At 02:26 PM 1/22/01 -0500, you wrote:

>This must be an Iowa thing.. same here scott, No SOP, no procedures for

>training, and so on and so on..<<<SNIP>>>

>

>

>Dallas County Sheriffs Office

>Adel, Iowa

>jamicans@...

>(these posts are my opinions and my opinions only)

JUST MY THOUGHTS, WHICH SHOULD BE CENSORED AT TIMES,

Not those of my workplace, coworkers or anyone else I can think of.

Nicholson

PD Northbrook IL, Communications

1401 Landwehr Rd.

Northbrook, IL 60062

ext. 0

Page

nicholson@...