Awful Dispatcher

[Metro174]

Anybody heard the new male dispatcher for Baltimore City? He's on midnights usually on Southeast but occasionally on other districts. He is HORRIBLE! Leaves the mic open quite frequently, forgets who he is talking to and about what and where, mumbles and numerous other things that drive me batty. I know the guy is new but damn. Been on for about a month and hasn't gotten any better.

 

[scannerfreak]

I wonder how they would take it if you called them and said" Ya I'm a scanner listener and this guy sux!" :lol:

 

[mlevin]

LOL, I don't usually listen to the other districts, but after reading this I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Oh my gosh he is bad.

Now the best dispatcher for the whole city has got to be the lady working northwest midnights. She's great, and always good for a laugh. Apparently she's been working for 20 years.

 

[Metro174]

I work for another LE agency and monitor Baltimore City mainly while working, usually the district I'm in which is primarily Southeast. I doubt they would like it if I called and said this guy sux but d***, he makes my dispatchers look good.

 

[matthewtomek]

Being in the dispatch field for about ten years now, I think that agencies should not just hire anyone off the street, but put them through many situations up front to make sure that they can in fact handle the position.


There is a serious problem in Mississippi of agencies hiring folks off the street, let them train with someone for about two weeks, then throw them to the lions on their own. More training up front, less problems on the back end.

 

[TinEar]

So now we'll all tune to Southeast to hear this guy and be entertained although the cops on the street no doubt wish he'd disappear.

My favorite is the gal that I generally hear during the day and early evening on the Northern District. She's good but has a voice that will shatter glass. Every time I hear her it's like hearing fingernails scraping a chalkboard and gives me the "shivers."

 

[mlevin]

I thinks it's her console or the way she's talking into the mic. Sometimes I hear her in the backround while listening to other districts.

 

[Llwellyn]

I've not heard this guy specifically as I'm not digital, but I thought with the thread open I'd just mention a pet peeve of mine.

Here in the Baltimore metro area, we seem to have come up with 45 alternate pronunciations for the word "ambulance". Nothing drives me so crazy as hearing that said "amalance" "amblance" or "am-boo-lance"... :lol:

We seem have a prevalance of stations that have "far" trucks too.

 

[mlevin]

Patapisico Avenue

 

[LarrySC]

The Greenville County SC EMS dispatcher breathed and grunted into the mic. I publish the local scan/freq directory 60-68 pages. I made issue of this matter in a 1/3 page comments section. Noticed that I had not heard her for a while. Found out she had acute lung problems and always carried an air pac. A really good job for someone who couldnt breath. The local prison put an arson inmate on duty at the prison gas station filling up transport vans and wardens cars. Another human resource prize.

 

[Dispatcher308]

Hey Mo

Not only Patapsco that you mentioned.

I think this is the best one I have heard yet

WICA-MICA-MO for Wicomico very very funny.

 

[INDY72]

My all time favorite when hearing a liscense plate run in rural MS- C Rahh Y 133 LOL. It would seem to me that in hiring a dispatcher, you run him/her through the mic test, just like in broadcast radio. No matter if its a podunk lil ole town in rural MS, or a big friggin city like Boston, MA. Professionalism is what is a must for anyone that is gonna be on the air, iether in public safety, or in broadcast.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Being in the dispatch field for about ten years now, I think that agencies should not just hire anyone off the street, but put them through many situations up front to make sure that they can in fact handle the position.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Some agencies are better than others when it comes to training their communications personnel. Here in Southeastern Michigan, many of the people who work in the dispatch centers, have no real enthusiasm, or love of their job.

I can think of several dispatchers who were put there because of work related injuries, want a desk job, or to them it's just another job with a paycheck. Moreover, their training comes from people with the same attitude, so their understanding of the fundamentals of the equipment is limited to what they need to know on a day-by-day basis. However, I have found this not to be the case in neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

I am totally convinced the training the dispatchers receive, must be more comprehensive in the aforementioned states. I know that Indiana law enforcement agencies often send their dispatchers to a special training school at the state police academy, which lasts for several weeks. Then they return home for more training at their local dept.

You can really tell the difference between a professionally trained dispatcher and one that can't wait until his shift is over. Moreover, this strongly reflects the level of professionalism or lack thereof by the agency your are listening to.


73's

Ron

 

[GlacierClipper]

Excellent Post!

GlacierClipper

 

[Chaos703]

We seem have a prevalance of stations that have "far" trucks too.

Say, do you know why the three wise me smelled like smoke?

'Cause they come from a far. :lol:

 

[mancow]

The catch word here seems to be "ascertain".

They use it regardless of context. It drives me insane......



mancow

 

[TinEar]

Since this thread is already open...might as well add a new "awful dispatcher" heard today.

The P.G. County Sheriff's Department (on 155.58 mHz) today had one of those "bail out and run" situations. All the sheriff deputies involved in the foot chase and area search did a great job no thanks to the dispatcher. He was just awful. He didn't seem to be familiar with street names, was unable to remember who was where, couldn't or didn't pass on the description of the guy that was being chased in spite of it being given several times from the scene. Each new officer arriving asked for a description and the dispatcher had to go back to the officer doing the foot chase to repeat it - just what he felt like doing I'm sure since it was hot and he was out of breath. The first officer doing the foot chase repeatedly asked the dispatcher to get out a map and place the arriving cars in a perimeter around the area. The dispatcher couldn't manage to do that either. He had no concept of how to handle the communications coming from lots of officers and no concept of how to manage the situation. Finally, the perp was caught by a female officer and even after she gave her location a couple of times, the dispatcher still couldn't get the name of the location correctly so he could send her help. To top off everything else, he was one of those mumbling dispatchers that never has learned to speak clearly. He very much sounded like someone that was grabbed off the street and told to sit at the dispatch console.

How would you feel if you were chasing an armed suspect on foot into the woods and the dispatcher couldn't direct help in your direction because he wasn't in the least bit qualified for the position? It made me feel really bad for the officers and I wanted to reach through the radio and throttle the dispatcher. I hope the officers raise hell about this and try to get him removed before one of them gets hurt.