Guest guest Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 In a message dated 11/21/2003 4:34:16 PM Pacific Standard Time, cmorris@... writes: Quick question for the group...anyone work for or know of an agency that has 24 hour shifts for dispatchers? Not that I am all interested in such a thing - just curious! There are about half a dozen fire (only) civilian-operated dispatch centers in California that work 24 hour shifts just like their firefighters. They have virtually no turnover! Contra Costa County Fire Stockton Fire Dept San Ramon Valley FPD Fremont Fire San Fire Ventura County Fire Orange County Fire Authority San Fire is also evaluating going to a 24-hour shift when we move to our new comm center (3-5 years). The June 2003 issue of 9-1-1 magazine carried a couple of feature articles about dispatch center schedules, including 24's. Randall Larson Editor, 9-1-1 Magazine P O Box 23069 San CA 95153-3069 www.9-1-1magazine.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 How can 24 hr shifts make any sense from a responder safety and a dispatcher health status point of view? I know that when I am forced over to work a 16 hr shift my effectiveness and alertness hit rock bottom after about hour 14 or so.. Are these people plugged into their console for 24 straight? Do they get any type of sleep break at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Our dispatchers come to work at 7 a.m. just like they were going to be assigned to a truck. Of course, our dispatchers are also firefighters but we work 24 on 24 off. After the third 24 on we get 4 days off. -- Firefighter Specialist/EMT-ST Communications Support Group Charlottesville, VA Fire Dept. www.cfdonline.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Our dispatch center is staffed by 2 dispatchers for the 24-hour period. From 0700-1700 both of them are required to be available but not necessarily in the room the entire time. However, the majority of the time they choose to stay in the room and work out what is essentially a call-taker/dispatcher type of arrangement. Typically at 1900 one of them goes to bed and sleeps until 0100 and then they switch. The rest/sleep arrangement are entirely up to them to work out amongst themselves. During any significant incident they are both required to be in the room but many house fires are handled by the single dispatcher without waking the other. Of course we only do fire dispatch (no EMD/EMS). Any EMS related calls (EMS assist, first responder, MVA, etc.) are transferred to us electronically through the CAD system so we only speak to an actual caller about 25% of the time. We've been doing the 24 hour shifts for about 3 years now and everybody seems to like it. I was one of the first to go from 8 hour shifts to the 24 hour staffing and I loved it. Compared to the 12 hour shifts I work in my part-time center I'd much rather do the 24. Firefighter Specialist/EMT-ST Communications Support Group Charlottesville, VA Fire Dept. www.cfdonline.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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