Re: 911:: Turnover

[Guest guest]

Because not everyone has the strange sense of adventure and sense humor that

we MUST have to do this unique and wonderful job that only a dispatcher can

truly understand ...

I love my job !!

[Guest guest]

Chad, I may be way out of line since I have not worked in dispatch for 8

months, but I've never been known to keep my mouth shut, and it's too late

for me to change now. In over 40 years that I was in the work force, I have

never had " work " that I loved more than dispatching. You will note the word

" work " . I did not say " job " . The " work " is rewarding, gratifying, and I

was always proud to do it. The " job " entailed too many hours, too much

departmental stress, too much trivial departmental BS, never any gratitude

(except from the public and other dispatch and officers), working by

yourself up to 16 hours with no breaks (unless you begged or threatened),

going to the restroom with a portable radio in hand and praying that 911

didn't ring, and being sick at your stomach every time the phone rang on

your off time 'cause you knew you were getting forced and if you didn't

answer the phone, you got reprimanded. I was even given a verbal warning

not to email the Mayor or the chief to remind them about the second week in

April. I don't know how it is in Tyler, Texas, but that's the story on the

" job " where I " worked " . No regard for contractual rules, you had to grieve

all the time, disregard even for federal regulations. You didn't even get

anywhere for kissing @$$, you just got less reprimands. Stress from the

" work " , I could handle. Non-breather babies- giving CPR to a wife who's

husband is down- frantic, screaming domestics- taking a call from a man who

woke to find his wife of 60 years dead and cold beside him- rollovers- house

fires- we have all done these and done them damn well. And if you don't

have anyone to relieve you after it's over and you have to sit and let the

tears roll and keep working, well, we can do that too. It's just the lack

of respect, lack of recognition, and the overabundance of bull$h!t that

some of us can't handle. Stress can kill you, or make you wish you were

dead. It can take a toll on your health that you can only imagine, and

paired with actual, serious health problems, it can double your chances of

NOT getting better.

Maybe in some centers striving towards getting fully staffed works and I say

" good on ya " if it does. For the rest of you, I just say " good luck, you're

gonna need it, and try to be well " . I don't mean to be crude or rude, but

Chad, I've " been there, done that, got the T-shirt, worn it out, ain't

gettin' another one " .

Lyn

911:: Turnover

> DEDICATED & a PROFESSIONAL. I know it's tough out there for those

> of

> you who have stuck through it all with your agency, worked the

> forced

> OT, worked through days that you should've been off on vacation or

> on

> a holiday you requested off. For those of you who resemble that

> last

> remark, I have the utmost respect for you & you opitimize the true

> Communications Professional & I hope your dedication is rewarded or

> soon will be. I know it does not go unnoticed by all so keep up the

> excellent work & continue to strive towards your communications

> center

> being fully staffed & trained (I know, I may have went too far with

> that last statement :-))

>

> Chad Richey

> SSC Supervisor

> ETMC EMS

> Tyler, Tx

[Guest guest]

Chad

I think there are MANY reasons that departments experience high turnover. .

.. We have tried numerous things on the hiring end - new first stage testing

(Criticall), added a peer review (front line dispatchers asking the

applicant questions), and we've told everyone that has tested that this is

probably the hardest job they will ever consider doing, you'll be yelled at,

cussed out, called names, listen to someone die, either naturally or

violently, and yet still have to continue. We've changed our training

program and trainers. What we have found out when some of them have quit is

that even with " " the talk " they did not expect the job/work/career to be so

hard. Others have quit because of trainers. I firmly believe that it takes

a very special person to remain in this field while we deal with what we do,

including the lack of respect, management " bull " , and working unbelievable

hours/shifts.

So I guess there is no one single answer. . . it's a multitude of things

that forces us to continuallly evaluate and change what we are doing for the

hiring/training process.

Roscommon County (MI) Central Dispatch

911:: Turnover

> I know this has been a general discussion before during posts about

> scheduling & staffing shortages. My question is: What creates so

> much

> turnover in a job that is so much fun? Is it administration? Is it

> the rotating shifts or hours worked? Is it the lack of training? Is

> it the poor preperation by those interviewing or giving the

> prospective employee a true view of what the job entails? My

> comment

> about the job being so much fun, I know it is very stressful & very

> trying on a person but what is not being seen in these employees who

> are being hired & are then out the door in under 12 months? My

> agency

> is fortunate enough to not experience this kind of turnover as

> opposed

> to other agencies our size, so for that I'm thankful. I'm just

> curious as to where the weak link is in this process & how to help

> those of you who play any part in these new hires willingness to

> learn

> the job, deal with the stress & make it their career.

>

> A statistic my Director gave me & I've posted on here before is:

> TWO

> (2) percent of the world population can truly do the job we do.

> That's a staggering statistic when you think about the number of

> people hired & placed in the responsibility of protecting & saving

> lives & entrusted with sensitive & confidential information. I

> think

> about that statistic everytime I go in to do an interview. You

> can't

> just hire someone to fill a seat that requires a dedicated

> professional & you have to have someone who is both of those:

> DEDICATED & a PROFESSIONAL. I know it's tough out there for those

> of

> you who have stuck through it all with your agency, worked the

> forced

> OT, worked through days that you should've been off on vacation or

> on

> a holiday you requested off. For those of you who resemble that

> last

> remark, I have the utmost respect for you & you opitimize the true

> Communications Professional & I hope your dedication is rewarded or

> soon will be. I know it does not go unnoticed by all so keep up the

> excellent work & continue to strive towards your communications

> center

> being fully staffed & trained (I know, I may have went too far with

> that last statement :-))

>

> Chad Richey

> SSC Supervisor

> ETMC EMS

> Tyler, Tx

>

[Guest guest]

Our recent turnover problems are because people have left to better

themselves in their personal career goals. One left to become a police officer

with

our department, another transfered and promoted to records supervisor and the

third, well his wife accepted a job in another part of the state and I guess he

felt compeled to go with her!

We have another dispatcher that is going to apply to be an officer which will

put us 4 down but hopefully that won't happen for a couple more months as we

have yet another going out on 2 months of medical leave.

And of course as soon as I win that powerball drawing, they'll have my

position to fill!

Other then chaining people to a chair, there's no way to stop turn over. I

just hope the new applicants can learn and perform the job so we can feel a bit

of relief from working short.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Met too. I was kind of in the same situation.

I worked in radio before dispatch.

I was in the biz for about 7 years, but I moved from job to job, just about

every year. That's just the nature of that biz.

Most of the time I had more than one job at a time.

And I was in college most of that time too.

The year before dispatch, I worked at a civilian dispatch center (not public

safety).

I moved around frequently, but in all of the full-time jobs I had during

that time, I moved up through the ranks quickly and eventually served as in

a supervisory position.

I've been here now for six and a half years. I plan on retiring from here

in 30ish years. That's the kind of place I work at.

For the most part, once you're here - you stay here forever.

Re: 911:: Turnover

Steve, I can respect the perspective and ideas that you bring from

your previous career . . . except I do take exception to the the

first formula. I was one of those 'candidates' who had moved alot,

and had several different jobs - probably never one job continuously

for more than 2 years max, since high school (I hate to make myself

feel old, but that was 10 years ago). But those hiring at the comm

center took a chance on me, interviewed me, and apparently saw good

qualities and skills for a dispatcher, even though I had no dispatch

experience. I found my 'niche' with dispatching, and have now been

at it for almost 2 1/2 years - I love dispatching, and I want to do

it for as long as someone will let me or until I think I can't handle

the physical & mental effects anymore. I sure hope that day is

another 20 years down the road, because I can't imagine my life

without being involved with dispatch. All those years, I think I was

really looking for the one thing that fulfilled me . . . and it took

awhile for me to find it.

[Guest guest]

Uh, no - *I'm* going to win the Powerball :-) (and something about monkeys

and my butt?...)

You know... even if I did win the Powerball, I wouldn't quit my job - I like

it too much - even with all the stress, and departmental red tape and

politics and what have you.

Re: 911:: Turnover

And of course as soon as I win that powerball drawing, they'll have my

position to fill!

[Guest guest]

Hey, , how 'bout one of them thar fancy-schmancy private boxes at

the Joe to watch the Red Wings is they ever decide to hit the ice again?

Lyn

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

> If *I* won the lotto...

> My husband seems to think we would buy an RV and go to *every* frickin'

> major league ballpark one summer, and then start on minor leagues the next

> summer. Somehow that is supposed to be fun.

[Guest guest]

Whats this crap about being unprofessional?? I thought it was my shift

that had that title <bfg>

Al

>>> michelle.katt@... 06/22/05 01:06 AM >>>

I would give my pallys on nights enough money to quit (since

we're all so unprofessional anway <vbg>)

[Guest guest]

Whats this crap about being unprofessional?? I thought it was my shift

that had that title <bfg>

Al

>>> michelle.katt@... 06/22/05 01:06 AM >>>

I would give my pallys on nights enough money to quit (since

we're all so unprofessional anway <vbg>)