National Dispatchers Week New Jersey

[rr60]

I would like to acknowledge it is National Dispatchers Week April 10-16. I suspect many post and or read here.

They really do make a difference as a majority and contribute directly to LEO, first responders and the public they serve.

Special mention to those in both Somerset and Union County. I hear the professional tone and composure, day in and day out, some for many many years. You do make a difference.

Kudo’s all. Stay safe. Thanks for your service on behalf of all of us.

 

[APX8000]

I have to give a shout out to North Bergen since they shout out to everyone on SPEN.

 

[HammerSolidRaw]

I would like to acknowledge it is National Dispatchers Week April 10-16. I suspect many post and or read here.

They really do make a difference as a majority and contribute directly to LEO, first responders and the public they serve.

Special mention to those in both Somerset and Union County. I hear the professional tone and composure, day in and day out, some for many many years. You do make a difference.

Kudo’s all. Stay safe. Thanks for your service on behalf of all of us.

Elizabeth needs some re-training.

 

[lovescanner2017]

they all do a great job

i live in Elizabeth they do a wonderful job

they all dont get the credit they deserve

 

[ten13]

Being a police, fire, and/or EMS dispatcher can be a thankless job.

And dispatchers have been (wrongly) blamed for incidents when the "administration" of the department (usually police) want to keep the dirt off of their fellow cops.

But when it's busy, or an especially 'heavy' job is in progress, a good dispatcher shines...and brightly.

But I would imagine that they would have a lot more good dispatchers if the dispatchers, over the years, didn't paint themselves into a corner by seeking all sorts of prerequisites and difficult to obtain certifications to get the job in the first place.

Take, for instance, the requirements for this "911 Dispatcher" job on Indeed:

Must complete/ have completed:

• Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) Terminal Operator Certification
• Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Certification through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED).
• Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) Certification through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED).
• Emergency Telecommunicator Certification (ETC) through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED).
• General police, fire and EMS operations training.
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

All of them are fine and dandy, IF the job was paying, at least, close to six-figures, and not the borderline poverty wages we are seeing today. What's worse, in most cases, the candidate has to pay for all those "certifications," most of which the new dispatcher will never use.

Of course, the departments looking to hire one, new, dispatcher don't want to pay for all this training. One reason for that is that the "administration" knows that their "candidate" will up and leave sooner rather than later due to the "working conditions" imposed on new, "rookie," dispatcher (no relief, low pay for a long time, etc).

One "solution" may be in the regionalization of communications offices, similar to what Bergen County has done, where a relatively large number of dispatchers handle the dispatching duties for a number of various towns (I have no first-hand knowledge how that's working out).

Recently, the politicians (in NY, anyway) have attempted to throw a bone to dispatchers by saying (but not "classifying") dispatchers as "first responders" (whatever that really means, if anything), but with no new benefits or status, or ability to enhance the job through negotiation.

Another "bone" they threw at them is the above-mentioned "National Dispatchers Week."

Ask some local police dispatcher how they feel about that, while working their on their RDOs or a 24 hour shift because their chief told them that they're mandated to stay (but won't...or can't...hire new dispatchers).

 

[ten13]

Speaking of Bergen County......


Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs)
County of Bergen
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Full-time

https://www.indeed.com/q-911-Dispat...tQnorm=dispatcher police&vjk=3636c2ba498408d2

 

[jmp883]

ten13 wrote:

if the dispatchers, over the years, didn't paint themselves into a corner by seeking all sorts of prerequisites and difficult to obtain certifications to get the job in the first place.

It's not the dispatchers seeking those requirements. It's state and federal government requirements. When I started dispatching 30 years ago 9-1-1 was not active in my area so the only required training was on NCIC and the state CJIS system. Once 9-1-1 went active in our area we were then required to have all courses listed in ten13's post above. We didn't ask for those additional courses, or paint ourselves into a corner. They were required by the state, along with our annual recertification on those courses.

One "solution" may be in the regionalization of communications offices, similar to what Bergen County has done, where a relatively large number of dispatchers handle the dispatching duties for a number of various towns

I have mixed feelings on this topic. As I have stated, I have been dispatching for 30 years. I dispatch PD/FD/EMS for a small town in northern NJ. I grew up in this town and was a volunteer firefighter here for 20 years. As a result I know this town very well. In order to become a police officer in my department you are required to be a resident for X-number of years before you can be appointed. Because of that they know the town just as well as I do: the frequent fliers, the usual trouble spots, and being able to give directions quickly and accurately without having to refer to a map. You just can't beat that familiarity. I just recently moved out to another county, where the dispatching is done by the county sheriff's department. They seem to be very well-trained and sound very professional on the radio. However the loss, in my opinion, is the lack of that local knowledge I listed above. I've had several opportunities to speak with the PD in the town I've moved into and the several officers I have spoke to said that the move they made to county dispatch was a mistake. I've had to call the county comm center several times since I've moved there and it's very obvious that the dispatchers don't have that local knowledge.

On the flip side of regionalization I do think that regionalization works better for FD and EMS. Large scale/mutual aid operations can be handled much more efficiently by a county-level dispatch center. I've joined the volunteer FD in the town I now live in and we are dispatched by the county. We have an assigned ops channel that we use in the apparatus and portables. If there are several incidents going at the same time the county will advise us to switch to a different ops channel, if necessary.

Of course, the departments looking to hire one, new, dispatcher don't want to pay for all this training. One reason for that is that the "administration" knows that their "candidate" will up and leave sooner rather than later due to the "working conditions" imposed on new, "rookie," dispatcher (no relief, low pay for a long time, etc).

In the past the departments did pay for all that training. I have noticed that in the past several years new job notices for dispatchers now require the candidate to pay for those courses. As ten13 posted they know their new dispatcher will probably leave, not only for the reason ten13 stated, but also because many use dispatching as a stepping stone to becoming a police officer. With the high level of turnover in dispatching I guess I can understand the departments wanting the candidate to pay for their training.

Another "bone" they threw at them is the above-mentioned "National Dispatchers Week."

I take a bit of offense to that quote. Getting recognition from the public is not throwing us a bone. It's letting the public know who we are and what we do. Maybe that publicity may help in getting things changed.

There are definitely things that need to change. Salary and proper staffing levels are the two biggest issues most dispatchers have to deal with. Many departments do pay very poorly. I'm fortunate that my department understands what we do and the responsibilities we have and pay us fairly well. We are also adequately staffed. It's rare that any of us have to pull overtime or double shifts. All in all it's been a great 30 years. I have about another 10 years before I retire and I'm going to be lost that first day of retirement!

 

[APX8000]

Having been there done that as well, I can't begin to tell you about some of the talent I've worked with over the years. People that I would, and have, put my life in their hands. Many times it's a thankless job and underpaid for the level of responsibility placed on an individual. So from me to them, I say thank you for your service.

 

[APX8000]

Listening to Morris County right now dealing with a barricaded subject with a gun. Doing a great job.

 

[cash082]

I have to give a shout out to North Bergen since they shout out to everyone on SPEN.

Knock it off, North Bergen. Sorry...had to.
On a more serious note, thank you to all the PSAP Dispatchers out there!

 

[ten13]

. Because of that they know the town just as well as I do: the frequent fliers, the usual trouble spots,

That can be done with regionalization. If the NYPD can do it (assign call-takers and radio dispatchers to those areas where they live or are familiar with), then a county dispatch center can do it also.

There's also the possibility that a dispatcher working in an otherwise unknown area may actually take the initiative to, at least, get to know the new area, even slightly, and over a period of time. It all depends on how much interest one has in the job they do, and also realize that that a little information and familiarization can actually be beneficial.

But, then again, to listen to some dispatchers/call takers, you would think they were taking calls regarding a credit card question or dispatching taxicabs.

I take a bit of offense to that quote. Getting recognition from the public is not throwing us a bone. It's letting the public know who we are and what we do. Maybe that publicity may help in getting things changed.

Yeah, well....tell your landlord who you are and what you do, and tell him this is "National Dispatchers' Week," and then tell him you don't have enough money to pay the rent, and see where that gets you.

And with all the "publicity" dispatchers get now, including their own real-life TV Show

.....and in the past, and nothing worthwhile has changed, don't expect any changes to come anytime soon, if at all.

 

[HammerSolidRaw]

they all do a great job

i live in Elizabeth they do a wonderful job

they all dont get the credit they deserve

Is that the Elizabeth in NC? The people in Elizabeth NJ need some more training or re-training.

 

[jmp883]

That can be done with regionalization. If the NYPD can do it (assign call-takers and radio dispatchers to those areas where they live or are familiar with), then a county dispatch center can do it also.

There's also the possibility that a dispatcher working in an otherwise unknown area may actually take the initiative to, at least, get to know the new area, even slightly, and over a period of time. It all depends on how much interest one has in the job they do, and also realize that that a little information and familiarization can actually be beneficial.

But, then again, to listen to some dispatchers/call takers, you would think they were taking calls regarding a credit card question or dispatching taxicabs.



Yeah, well....tell your landlord who you are and what you do, and tell him this is "National Dispatchers' Week," and then tell him you don't have enough money to pay the rent, and see where that gets you.

And with all the "publicity" dispatchers get now, including their own real-life TV Show

.....and in the past, and nothing worthwhile has changed, don't expect any changes to come anytime soon, if at all.

The regionalization you mentioned can work, as long as that agency has forward-thinking supervisors. Unfortunately, in my experience, the dispatcher doesn’t have a say in where they are assigned. As for the dispatchers taking the initiative, that’s great, again as long as management is in agreement. Otherwise it would be up to the dispatchers to learn their jurisdictions on their own. I’ve had it both ways, but it shouldn’t have to be that way.

Like you closed with, don’t expect changes to come anytime soon.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

Dont forget the railroad dispatchers.