That's what I'd like to know. I live in Camden County, NJ and lots of times I hear very strange backround noises. I hear people laughing, whistling, and making silly "woo-hoo" noises. Sometimes even the dispatchers get the giggles. Normally if I am listening to neighboring counties (Burlington County, Gloucester County, etc), I hear noises that I should hear like 9-1-1 telephone operators talking to callers, or audio from the other frequencies in the alarm room. So what actually goes on back there in a dispatch center?
What the heck is going on in the dispatch center?!
- Thread starter policefreak
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scannerpro
Member
They do that down here. You hear them laugh and all of that. I've been down too the 911 center where I live and figured out why. They bring family, friends in and they have cable and a DVD Player in their for movies plus internet on the computer too...
CanesFan95
Analog already is interoperable.
Replaced? Not at all. During downtime, there's a lot of kidding around at the comm center that could be going on. Maybe they're just watching a funny TV show or having a birthday party or something. Dispatchers are people too, not robots talking on a scanner.Driv3r912 said:
Now there are times where they need to be REMINDED to keep it down by the supervisor, so that the family of a drowning victim for example won't hear chuckling over the paramedics' radios.
When I worked the late tours dispatching NYPD, we used to have aluminum foil ball baseball games in the Manhattan radio room. Sometimes having a little fun broke the tension both in the radio room, and in the radio car.
We were anything but unprofessional.
We were anything but unprofessional.
RESCUE4NFD
Member
Maybe the city should purchase some headsets...
scannersnstuff
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never mind !
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That's true, I, although work in a car. But sitting for 8 hours looking at monitors and answering calls does get a bit stressful. I commend our dispatchers and our Public Safety Officials.
It's just not as bad up here in PA, you don't hear that kind of craziness on the radio.
It's just not as bad up here in PA, you don't hear that kind of craziness on the radio.
hoser147
Member
Rod pretty well summed it up. When its slow , thats the time to unwind. Hoser
Astro25
Member
Gotta have something to do during those 3rd shifts. County dispatch here has about 4 TV's on local news or whatever they feel like watching.
Yeah, in the back of my mind I was thinking somewhere along the lines of the dispatchers de-stressing. Just seems kind of strange, and in a way I do agree with Driv3r912, but by the same token I guess it can get very heated in the alarm room, and this is a way for the dispatchers to be more effective. They do manage to keep professional when they are on the air. Just amazes me that they can stay concentrated with all that hub-bub around them. That would drive me nuts!! {:>D But I guess whatever works for them, and if it helps them do their jobs better, then I'm all for it!! And I haven't heard any complaints down here.
BaLa
Member
I like listening to some of the smaller depts that make a joke every now and then.
a break in the stress for them too I'm sure..
a break in the stress for them too I'm sure..
I sit and listen to the scanners for 8 hours, looking at my TV monitor and computer monitor... crap wish I got paid for this.
Gotta apply to be a dispatcher
Gotta apply to be a dispatcher
Driv3r912 said:
Before the fire and PD combined their dispatch center here, the fire center had TV and cable, a stove, fridge, and a workout room next door. Fire dispatcher was on by himself, so even the bathroom had a phone, and a mini radio console all accessable from the toilet.
Now that they are all combined, you hear the occasional joke, laughter, or even loud talking in addition to the other freqs they cover.
I think it is important fro the dispatchers to have some distractions when they aren't busy; it helps with the stress level.
I never thought it was unprofessional before I retired from the FD, and I still think the same.
Now that they are all combined, you hear the occasional joke, laughter, or even loud talking in addition to the other freqs they cover.
I think it is important fro the dispatchers to have some distractions when they aren't busy; it helps with the stress level.
I never thought it was unprofessional before I retired from the FD, and I still think the same.
They work in a very confined space. I hear they are moving to a bigger room sometime in the future.
firetaz834
Member
They may not realize that the background noices (which maybe taking place in another room) is picked up so well over the radio. I have to insure that my background chatter is turned down. I think alot of the dispatchers my be so intune with what is happening in front of them they don't even hear the background chatter, but on our end we hear it all. As long as they are doing there jobs then what helps them make it through a shift should be good.
manross
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Before I went on the road, years ago I worked in a combined dispatch center. The background noise should be kept to a minimum, but the TV's, DVD's, internet etc., etc., is almost a necessity on the midnight shift when the call activity falls off. I'd rather have a little bit of back ground noise then dead silence and workers falling asleep. Give me a dispatcher that was watching TV instead of one that had fallen asleep when my family member needs help. As was said earlier, dispatchers are people too. We never had an unprofessional dispacther work on my shift. They never made it that long before being canned.... 
Marty
Marty
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