Re: 911:: A Tribute To Dispatchers

[Guest guest]

I haven't read a more accurate description or a better display of admiration

from a chief to his dispatchers. How great would that be to work for someone

who gives you the credit you deserve? Thank you, Jimmie, for sharing this

wonderful tribute.

Lyn

911:: A Tribute To Dispatchers

This was written by the police chief of Loveland CO. I

thought it appropriate as it fits us all.

I have found in my law enforcement career that

dispatchers are the unsung heroes of public safety.

They miss the excitement of riding in a speeding car

with lights flashing and sirens wailing. They can only

hear of the bright orange flames leaping from a

burning building. They do not get to see the joy on

the face of worried parents as they see their child

begin breathing on its own, after being given CPR.

Dispatchers sit in darkened rooms looking at computer

screens and talking to voices from faces they never

see. Its like reading a lot of books, but only half of

each one.

Dispatchers connect the anxious conversations of

terrified victims, angry informants, suicidal citizens

and grouchy officers. They are the calming influence

of all of them - the quiet, competent voices in the

night that provide the pillars for the bridges of

sanity and safety.

They are expected to gather information from highly

agitated people who can't remember where they live,

what their name is, or what they just saw. And then

they are to calmly provide all that information to

officers, fire fighters, paramedics without error-the

first time, and every time.

Dispatchers are expected to be able to do 5 things at

once - and do them all well. While questioning a

frantic caller, they must type the information into a

computer, tip off another dispatcher, put another

caller on hold, and listen to an officer run a plate

for a parking problem. To miss the plate numbers is to

raise the officer's ire; to miss the caller's

information may be to endanger the same officer's

life. But the officer will never understand that.

Dispatchers have two constant companions. Other

dispatchers and stress. They depend on the one, and

try to ignore the other. They are chastened by upset

callers, taken for granted by the public, and

criticized by the officers. The rewards they get are

inexpensive and infrequent, except for the

satisfaction they feel at the end of a shift, having

done what they were expected to do.

Dispatchers come in all shapes and sizes, all races,

both sexes, and all ages. They are blondes, brunettes

and redheads. They are quiet or outgoing, single or

married, plain, beautiful or handsome. No two are

alike, yet they are all the same.

The are people who were selected in a difficult hiring

process to do an impossible job. They are as different

as snowflakes, but they have one thing in common. The

care about people and they enjoy being the lifeline of

society - that steady voice in a storm - the one who

knows how to handle every emergency and does it with

style and grace and uncompromised competence.

Dispatchers play many roles: therapist, answer man,

doctor, lawyer, teacher, weatherman, guidance

counselor, psychologist, priest, secretary,

supervisor, politician and reporter. And few people

must jump through the emotional hoops on the trip

through the joy of one caller's birthday party, to the

fear of another caller's burglary in progress, to the

anger of a neighbor blocked in their drive, and back

to the birthday caller's, all in a two minute time

frame. The emotional roller-coaster rolls to a stop

after an 8 or 10 hour shift, and they are expected to

walk down to their car with steady feet and no

queasiness in their stomach - because they are

dispatchers.

If they hold it in, they are to closed. If they talk

about it, they're a whiner. If it bothers them, it

adds more stress. If it doesn't, they question

themselves, wondering why.

Dispatchers are expected to have the compassion of

Mother ; the wisdom of ; the interviewing

skills of Oprah Winfrey; the gentleness of Florence

Nightingale; the patience of Job; the voice of Barbara

Streistand; the knowledge of Einstein; the answers of

Ann Landers; the people skills of Sheriff Andy ;

the humor of Letterman; the investigative skills

of Sgt. Joe Friday; the looks of Griffith or

Don ; the faith of Graham; the energy of

Charro; and the endurance of the EverReady Bunny.

Is it any wonder that many drop out during training?

It is a unique and talented person who can do this job

and do it well.

And it is fitting and proper that we take a few

minutes or hours this week to honor you for the job

that each of you do. That recognition is overdue, and

it is insufficient......But it is sincere.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

What is that person's name? I'd like to write him/her a thank you. Do you know

when this was written?

911:: A Tribute To Dispatchers

This was written by the police chief of Loveland CO. I

thought it appropriate as it fits us all.

I have found in my law enforcement career that

dispatchers are the unsung heroes of public safety.

They miss the excitement of riding in a speeding car

with lights flashing and sirens wailing. They can only

hear of the bright orange flames leaping from a

burning building. They do not get to see the joy on

the face of worried parents as they see their child

begin breathing on its own, after being given CPR.

Dispatchers sit in darkened rooms looking at computer

screens and talking to voices from faces they never

see. Its like reading a lot of books, but only half of

each one.

Dispatchers connect the anxious conversations of

terrified victims, angry informants, suicidal citizens

and grouchy officers. They are the calming influence

of all of them - the quiet, competent voices in the

night that provide the pillars for the bridges of

sanity and safety.

They are expected to gather information from highly

agitated people who can't remember where they live,

what their name is, or what they just saw. And then

they are to calmly provide all that information to

officers, fire fighters, paramedics without error-the

first time, and every time.

Dispatchers are expected to be able to do 5 things at

once - and do them all well. While questioning a

frantic caller, they must type the information into a

computer, tip off another dispatcher, put another

caller on hold, and listen to an officer run a plate

for a parking problem. To miss the plate numbers is to

raise the officer's ire; to miss the caller's

information may be to endanger the same officer's

life. But the officer will never understand that.

Dispatchers have two constant companions. Other

dispatchers and stress. They depend on the one, and

try to ignore the other. They are chastened by upset

callers, taken for granted by the public, and

criticized by the officers. The rewards they get are

inexpensive and infrequent, except for the

satisfaction they feel at the end of a shift, having

done what they were expected to do.

Dispatchers come in all shapes and sizes, all races,

both sexes, and all ages. They are blondes, brunettes

and redheads. They are quiet or outgoing, single or

married, plain, beautiful or handsome. No two are

alike, yet they are all the same.

The are people who were selected in a difficult hiring

process to do an impossible job. They are as different

as snowflakes, but they have one thing in common. The

care about people and they enjoy being the lifeline of

society - that steady voice in a storm - the one who

knows how to handle every emergency and does it with

style and grace and uncompromised competence.

Dispatchers play many roles: therapist, answer man,

doctor, lawyer, teacher, weatherman, guidance

counselor, psychologist, priest, secretary,

supervisor, politician and reporter. And few people

must jump through the emotional hoops on the trip

through the joy of one caller's birthday party, to the

fear of another caller's burglary in progress, to the

anger of a neighbor blocked in their drive, and back

to the birthday caller's, all in a two minute time

frame. The emotional roller-coaster rolls to a stop

after an 8 or 10 hour shift, and they are expected to

walk down to their car with steady feet and no

queasiness in their stomach - because they are

dispatchers.

If they hold it in, they are to closed. If they talk

about it, they're a whiner. If it bothers them, it

adds more stress. If it doesn't, they question

themselves, wondering why.

Dispatchers are expected to have the compassion of

Mother ; the wisdom of ; the interviewing

skills of Oprah Winfrey; the gentleness of Florence

Nightingale; the patience of Job; the voice of Barbara

Streistand; the knowledge of Einstein; the answers of

Ann Landers; the people skills of Sheriff Andy ;

the humor of Letterman; the investigative skills

of Sgt. Joe Friday; the looks of Griffith or

Don ; the faith of Graham; the energy of

Charro; and the endurance of the EverReady Bunny.

Is it any wonder that many drop out during training?

It is a unique and talented person who can do this job

and do it well.

And it is fitting and proper that we take a few

minutes or hours this week to honor you for the job

that each of you do. That recognition is overdue, and

it is insufficient......But it is sincere.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I knew the letter had been around a while, but didn't know how long.

I find that it was written by former Chief of the Loveland CO, Tom Wagoner

on April 14th 1995.

HYPERLINK

" http://www.ci.loveland.co.us/police/comm.htm#tribute " http://www.ci.loveland

..co.us/police/comm.htm#tribute

Weintraut

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