You can't TOP 9-1-1

January 27, 2005

Every Comm Center probably has one or two " Drama Queens and/or Kings. " You

know, the ones that have so much nearly unbelievable Sturm and Drang in

their personal lives. Enough for several people. If it weren't for bad

luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all. They either talk about it all

the time and you learn far too much about stuff you never wanted to know

about them, or they're the ones that are frequently late to work because of

some calamity, get upset AT work from phone calls about something

distressing, have to take unplanned time off for " family emergencies beyond

their control " or some other Major Spectacle.

As a supervisor, I have to be cognizant of the human factor. Which means I

have to look concerned, or at the least, keep a straight face when being

informed of the latest Event in one of these people's lives. Something

which - of course - impacts their attendance, contributes to their

tardiness, affects their concentration at work, or otherwise requires a lot

of attention. (Yes, action is often taken as a result, but that's a

different topic, entirely.)

Anyway, we've got one right now. To be totally honest, we've got a NEW

one. But tonight I overheard one of our less-sympathetic dispatchers make

a remark that just cracked me up:

" Don't these new people know that you can't BEAT 9-1-1? Why not work at

some other business where that sort of thing will make everybody go

" Ohhhhh, how AWFUL! You poor thing! " Can't they understand there just

isn't any way the drama in their lives is gonna top train derailments,

splattered brain matter, multiple fatalities and the lady with spots on her

dry cleaning?!?! "

From my office, I can hear almost every conversation carried out in normal

volume out on the Operations floor. This one was really hard for me to

pretend to miss it. <grin>

--

Happy to be here, proud to serve.

Olmstead

Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor

~somewhere on the Central CA coast~

[not presumed to be a statement of my employing agency]

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