Re: 911:: Why Do I Do What I Do?

[Guest guest]

Yup Jim...I remember that incident and I remember you, too! thanks for the

memory!

Cin in good ole Ohio

[Guest guest]

I fell into the job by accident. I was 22, and in school full time, living

with Mom and Dad. I was burned out on school, and my grades were showing

it. I was also tired of living with Mommy and Daddy, and if I didn't move

out soon, I was sure my mother and I would kill each other. My major in

school was Criminal Justice, and I was interning at the county's

Prosecuting Attorney's office. I knew I wanted to stick with Criminal

Justice, as I thought I wanted to " grow up " to be a prosecutor. I had

distant relatives that both worked for the St Louis County Police

Department. She in Human Resources, and he a detective. She had once been

a dispatcher, and kept in contact with the division. She suggested I

apply, and I did. I loved it from the start. a little under two years

later, I married my husband who was in the Army, and had to move because of

him. If not for that, I really think I would still be there. But, I moved

on to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. I again had to leave after just

under two years because of the Army. I then went to El Paso, TX, where I

couldn't find a job for three months. I was also pregnant, which didn't

help. For various reasons that aren't important, my husband and I decided

to move the kids and myself back to our home state, and I found my job with

my current department. They have been great for me. They hired me 7 1/2

months pregnant, and I marked my 2 yr anniversary with them in March. I

think I will probably stay with them for a very long time, as I can't ask

for a more understanding employer, especially when it comes to the kids. I

would love to work in an environment dispatching police fire and EMS, as I

have always only done police, but it would take a lot to get me to leave

the city of OFallon. I have recently thought of applying for some

positions in City Hall, where I would work Mon-Fri and be home on the

weekends, evenings, and holidays, but I can never bring myself to sign the

application. I love what I do. I love the adrenaline, the excitement, and

I love knowing that I make a difference. This has been the best accident

that has ever happened to me, second only to my second child. I hate that

my three babies (yes, I am expecting again) will grow up with mom not home

some holidays and missing ball games, but I love that they will know Mommy

isn't there because she is helping someone else that needs her. I love

that I do something they can be proud of.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/13/04 10:03:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

jeggeman31@... writes:

Well after that I moved and got hired by my first department. And 14 years

later am still doing it

WOW Jim! That is some story. Glad you are still here though.

Toni Wyman, CTO /Tactical Dispatcher

Gwinnett County Police Department

Lawrenceville, GA

(These are only my opinions, not my agency's, after all they are the

government and they have opinions of their own)

For liability reasons my posts and opinions are to be reprinted with my

permission only.

Email to: E911GAL136@...

[Guest guest]

I moved to Georgia from Long Island NY on basically a whim. I didnt want to

live on LI anymore since I felt there was no opportunity for me. I was in the

private sector then doing bookkeeping for a small chain of drug stores and

working p/t in a department store. I was tired, hated my job and was miserable.

My friend worked for Marriott and was able to get a transfer to a property in

Metro Atlanta. I tagged along, leaving my job in a moment! Fact is, when I

went in to give notice, I was told to come back in a few hours, and in a

meeting prior to that was told that my company was being bought out and I was

losing my job..... FATE OR WHAT!

When I got to Georgia, I took a little break, then started temping myself

until I found something to do.

I happened on a job posting for Communications Officer I when I went to the

county offices for something. Figured what the heck. And here I am almost 9

years to the day I applied and I am LOVING EVERY MINUTE of my career. I will

do this as long as I possibly can. The reward can be endless, the job,

challenging and fullfilling, and the friendships, lasting. I finally have a

career and have earned the respect I have always felt I deserved for the job

that

I do. Who could ask for more than that!

Toni Wyman, CTO /Tactical Dispatcher

Gwinnett County Police Department

Lawrenceville, GA

(These are only my opinions, not my agency's, after all they are the

government and they have opinions of their own)

For liability reasons my posts and opinions are to be reprinted with my

permission only.

Email to: E911GAL136@...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/13/2004 7:05:44 PM Pacific Standard Time,

theclarkgirls@... writes:

I fell into the job by accident. I was 22, and in school full time, living

with Mom and Dad. I was burned out on school, and my grades were showing>>>

I've been enjoying reading everyone's stories on how they got started, what

motivated them. Its struck me as interesting is that most people who have been

in the business for more than 5-10 years kinda fell into it. I don't think

I've seen one response where the answer has been " I wanted to dispatch " or I

was attracted to doing radio and working in the dispatch environment.

What attracted me 5-6 years ago when I started the whole interview process

was that I could work on a computer, broadcast over the radio, work solo at

least part of the time and not really be around a lot of people, have minimal

face

to face contact with the public and could work nights and weekends when I

prefer to work. I've never been big on working or even being awake in daylight

and love having off during the week when everyone else is at work.

The only job that really met all the things I like in a job was dispatch so I

went after a position.

[Guest guest]

I've been enjoying reading everyone's stories on how they got started, what

motivated them. Its struck me as interesting is that most people who have been

in the business for more than 5-10 years kinda fell into it. I don't think

I've seen one response where the answer has been " I wanted to dispatch " or I

was attracted to doing radio and working in the dispatch environment.

What attracted me 5-6 years ago when I started the whole interview process

was that I could work on a computer, broadcast over the radio, work solo at

least part of the time and not really be around a lot of people, have minimal

face

to face contact with the public and could work nights and weekends when I

prefer to work. I've never been big on working or even being awake in daylight

and love having off during the week when everyone else is at work.

The only job that really met all the things I like in a job was dispatch so I

went after a position.

********************

Well, I think most of us that have been in it a long time had no idea it even

existed at the time we got into it. I think it has only been since the horrible

inaccurate portrayal of our job by " Rescue 9-1-1 " and Shatner that most

people even know we exist. (The first few showings were actually filmed in

Oxnard's Communications Center, by the by, and long before my time there...)

-Annette

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[Guest guest]

> I've been enjoying reading everyone's stories on how they got started, what

> motivated them. Its struck me as interesting is that most people who have

been

> in the business for more than 5-10 years kinda fell into it. I don't think

> I've seen one response where the answer has been " I wanted to dispatch " or I

> was attracted to doing radio and working in the dispatch environment.

Oh, I'm certainly one who wanted to dispatch. I worked as the

secretary to the Communications Division of the Salt Lake Co Sheriff's

Office for 3 years and liked to listen to what was going on in the

comm room through the Dictaphone unit on my desk. When I left there

(to move to Iowa) the first job I applied for was as a dispatcher with

County... didn't get hired, though I know I was on the list of

final candidates. I finally got a position as a dispatcher after I

moved to North Carolina, and I haven't looked back since. Of course,

I'm only a Call Receiver atmy current agency and I miss the radio like

crazy, but I'll get back there soon. =)

--Sunnie

South King Co, WA

[Guest guest]

Re: 911:: Why Do I Do What I Do?

> I've been enjoying reading everyone's stories on how they got

> started, what

> motivated them. Its struck me as interesting is that most people

> who have been

> in the business for more than 5-10 years kinda fell into it. I

> don't think

> I've seen one response where the answer has been " I wanted to

> dispatch " or I

> was attracted to doing radio and working in the dispatch

> environment.

OK, I'll break the mold, then. When I was a kid in the 1950s, and LAPD

transmitted at the top of the AM broadcast band, my dad had our home

radios tweaked if necessary to pick up the " police calls. " I'm told it

had been a popular pasttime since the 1930s, when good radio programming

was hard to find. Anyway I listened to them for years. In college, I

quickly got bored with my chosen civil-engineering goal, and thought

about police work, so in 1968 I hired on with LAPD as a " Police Student

Worker. " kind of a cadet position for college students looking into

becoming cops. At the time, LAPD used sworn officers as call-takers and

for broadcasting all the " hot calls, " pursuits and the like. Seemed

like where I wanted to be.

Meanwhile, I was still a dreaded " scanner buff, " (though they didn't

scan yet), and by osmosis had virtually all their codes and procedures

ingrained in my mind

I immediately applied to a semester assignment in Communications, and

despite the fact that I wasn't allowed on the radio, I was close enough.

As we rotated each semester to different divisions, I repeatedly

requested to go back to Communications, but in their wisdom, each time

the department sent me to a wide variety of other spots. So I decided to

test for " RadioTelephone operator (the dispatcher job class) and its

MUCH higher salary. Come age 21 and time to start the academy, my

weight and blood pressure had crept up, and I was told to get them back

within the limit and come back in 6 months. Disappointed like crazy.

Meanwhile, I was STILL a dreaded " scanner buff, " (though they still

didn't scan yet), and by osmosis had virtually all their codes and

procedures ingrained in my mind

But about 3 weeks later they finally reached the bottom of the barrel,

and almost out of the blue I got a postcard telling me if I still wanted

the job they were ready for me. I went right down, signed up, and went

to work. I never looked back, and never even re-tested for policeman.

I LOVED the radio. And my very first monthly evaluation metioned that

" Harry works the radio as if he's had years of experience. " Which my

mother thought was quite hilarious and she asked if I told them I'd been

listening to them for years. Nope.

Now I'm retired, 36 years after sitting down in the first of several

agencies' radio rooms I occupied. I still enjoy listening to 'em - and

often mentally critiquing the dispatchers and the procedures; I guess

the dispatching and the instructing bug is still in my blood. Sometimes

" you can take the dispatcher off the radio, but you can't take the radio

out of the dispatcher.

Harry

http://users.snowcrest.net/marnells/kma367-1.htm <~~ LAPD

Communications Div History

PS. I know there's sometimes a tendency to dismiss all

scanner-listeners as neurotic or otherwise somehow deficient. Not

always the case, many are police officers and firefighters, of course.

Or dispatchers. I always encouraged my trainees to get a scanner if

they were so inclined, as it can be a good training tool to have them

listen with an ear for both GOOD and BAD techniques. I picked up a lot

of valuable ideas over the years by listening to different agencies and

their ways of doing things.