Morris County Locution dispatch

[K2NEC]

Exactly. The way I see it, it frees up a dispatcher or 2 that let's them focus on other tasks. Sure the call information isn't as accurate but you get a general idea of what the call is, then when you get on the CAD, you see the specifics of the call. No 2 ways about it.

I especially love when departments not even specifically related to County, ask for a repeat of the address, even though dispatch said it 2 times in the page. When I hear a page go out, I write down the address or look it up on my phone. And if I don't get to do that, stored voice is a wonderful thing.

 

[slingshot202]

Dehumanization of communications...wow first time I've heard that complaint over locution. This has all been around for many years...besides Locution and Purvis, my old FD has been getting calls via text for over a decade with a rip and run sheet printed at the station and PD started getting dispatches over MDT around the same time as soon as call was assigned in CAD. Do I really need to waste airtime having a dispatcher read the same thing I'm reading ? Its like when a dispatcher used to repeat the dispatch...everyone has stored voice pagers now since what model of the Minitor ? Is Lindsey going to have to start a "Automated Dispatch Rant" below the encryption rant ?

I don't like it. Not going to get good info on dispatch, just a computer telling you stuff. I don't rip and run as a volunteer, I want as much info as I can get leaving the house. What type of fire, what type of medical call, how bad is the psych. Guess that's just me. I am not in Morris County, so it is just a matter of hearing it, not relying on it.

 

[katt02]

I especially love when departments not even specifically related to County, ask for a repeat of the address, even though dispatch said it 2 times in the page. When I hear a page go out, I write down the address or look it up on my phone. And if I don't get to do that, stored voice is a wonderful thing.

I have mixed thoughts on this. Yes, it frees up a dispatcher or two, and it can keep the call very concise when there are other calls that need to get out too. And if the user needs the address repeated (or more information) there is a radio system with a channel or talkgroup free for them to communicate additional info to responders.

However, the dispatcher brings a human element the computer will never have. As slingshot 202 said, there is a difference between a type of call and how bad a given call is. The tone of a dispatcher can bring crucial information into the nature of the matter. Also, stored voice is a wonderful thing...when it works! If a pager has too much static or is unintelligible, that stored voice is useless.

Either way, the technology is new, its changing, and its likely here to stay. After all, many large departments seem to be going this way;
why not every else too?

 

[APX8000]

The tone of a dispatcher can bring crucial information into the nature of the matter.

I never had the opportunity to train you on the console. But if I did, I would tell you that when the $h!t is hitting the fan, you have to be the calmest voice on the radio. I would love when I would start to hear newbies get all worked up in their voice...I would say, "why are you all excited, you're not going to the call !" The fire folks knew if I said "reported structure fire" or "working structure fire" that one could be a culinary disaster while the other was blowing out the roof. My tone never changed.

The crucial information will be most likely be given when you call enroute. Just because the initial page only has the call type, address, assigned units, etc doesn't mean that additional information from the human dispatcher won't follow. But even with that, the human dispatcher may be reading the CAD notes from the calltaker, the same notes that can be seen on the MDT. In many large dispatcher centers, the dispatcher talking to the units is not necessarily the person that took the 911 call. When I dispatched Medics that covered multiple towns and Counties, I would only give the unit, town and medical or trauma on the initial tone out. Some CADs also have pre-alerts which would drop that initial basic info into a pending queue. Why not pick it up and start a unit to head that way.

Also, stored voice is a wonderful thing...when it works! If a pager has too much static or is unintelligible, that stored voice is useless.

So is the dispatcher. If the signal is crap, whether it comes from a human or from the stored voice of a human or automated dispatch, its useless regardless. In also scenarios you'll have to ask for it to be repeated.

 

[K2NEC]

I never had the opportunity to train you on the console. But if I did, I would tell you that when the $h!t is hitting the fan, you have to be the calmest voice on the radio. I would love when I would start to hear newbies get all worked up in their voice...I would say, "why are you all excited, you're not going to the call !" The fire folks knew if I said "reported structure fire" or "working structure fire" that one could be a culinary disaster while the other was blowing out the roof. My tone never changed.

The crucial information will be most likely be given when you call enroute. Just because the initial page only has the call type, address, assigned units, etc doesn't mean that additional information from the human dispatcher won't follow. But even with that, the human dispatcher may be reading the CAD notes from the calltaker, the same notes that can be seen on the MDT. In many large dispatcher centers, the dispatcher talking to the units is not necessarily the person that took the 911 call. When I dispatched Medics that covered multiple towns and Counties, I would only give the unit, town and medical or trauma on the initial tone out. Some CADs also have pre-alerts which would drop that initial basic info into a pending queue. Why not pick it up and start a unit to head that way.


So is the dispatcher. If the signal is crap, whether it comes from a human or from the stored voice of a human or automated dispatch, its useless regardless. In also scenarios you'll have to ask for it to be repeated.

Couldnt have said it better myself APX8000!

 

[RBFD415]

Funny, I thought about exactly that, no "Automated Dispatch Rants" allowed moving forward! First I'm sure APX8000 is correct, Morris is obviously not the first to do this and will not be the last. I attended a conference over a decade ago where this type of move was predicted along with some other moves I'm sure would raise concerns for many. I'll try to not use alarming language when those moves come to NJ (LOL).

 

[jmp883]

I never had the opportunity to train you on the console. But if I did, I would tell you that when the $h!t is hitting the fan, you have to be the calmest voice on the radio.

Very good advice. But, after 29 years behind the mic, and hopefully many more to come, I feel vocal inflection is useful. In my agency, as well as those around us, there are several dispatchers who don't always use the correct terminology. Unfortunately, most of the time, the terminology they choose to use 'upgrades' the call when it isn't necessary. Because of that I have learned to dispatch serious calls with a bit more intensity in my voice. It's not being excited or or getting hyped up, it's just an undercurrent of intensity. My PD and FD units have reported that when they hear that tone in my voice they know that they're going to work. Automated dispatching takes that human touch out of the equation. Maybe it's better, I don't know. I guess time will tell.