Police Magazine Article

[sgt. w-2]

Does anyone here subscribe to "Police Magazine"? If so, any opinions on the article in reference to dispatching?

For those of you who don't get the magazine, there was an article this month pertaining to the staff shortages or recruitment problems of dispatch centers nationwide. The conclusion is that we are not recognized professionals. It gave some good tips on how to correct the problem too.

[MrJim911]

I don't get the mag. And I went to their website to search through their current January issue and I couldn't find that article. If there is anyway you can post it here that would be great, it sounds like a very interesting article.

And unfortunately, no, in many cases we are not recognized as professionals. It's a shame because it's blatantly obvious. I would guess that the article mentioned better training, required education to get a job. Also maybe across the board requirements nationwide.... Some states require/offer academy training, others don't. Some states offer a degree program for dispatchers, others don't. There are many things that could be done. It can only get better though.... :)

[ladymoonlite]

This IS a long-standing, nationwide problem. "Dispatch" or "Commo" has always been the proverbial red-headed stepchild of every PD/SO/FD.

I've been very proud to be a part of a Communications agency accredited by CALEA, which I feel goes a long way toward recognition of our professionalism! If anyone could find and post the tips from the magazine article noted here, I'd sure appreciate it, as I handle our Recruitment program and would prefer to be RETAINING rather than RECRUITING!

[sgt. w-2]

I gave my mag to another Officer to read and I haven't got it back. As soon as I do I will post the highlights.

[sgt. w-2]

Okay, I finally got the magazine back. Mr. Jim you probably couldn't find the article because I gave you the wrong magazine. It was in 'Law Enforcement Technology'.

Here is the readers digest condensed version:

Reflects some of the decisions dispatchers had to make on 9/11 such as 'do I jump', 'tell my spouse I said goobye', 'should I go upstairs or downstairs'. And because nobody knew the best way to evacuate the towers, some dispatchers could have given bad advice that cost people their lives, and it's alot of responsibility for a low paying job. The next several paragraphs discusses the problems of the job such as stress level, working conditions, shifts and time off, pay and beneifts as well as lack of recognition as a profession. Basically a combination of it all leads to a shortage of staff and qualified staff willing to accept the jobs.

Here are the solutions that APCO came up with:

-Improve training and recruiting

-Improve the recognition of the job both among officials and adminstrators and the public

-Realization of the stress level

-Realization that we are the first person on the scene on every scene

It then has a post of recruitment and retention practices that APCO suggests. They are as follows:

Job Position / Classification
-Consider importance of the position in relation to its impact on the safety of the community served, its citizens and businesses.
-Consider importance of the criticality of the decisions
-Consider the degree of multi-tasking required
-Consider the complexity of the technology used
-Consider the liability consequences relating to public perception
-Consider the importance of the position in relation to service provided and image and reputation of the agency

Compensation
-Consider higher rates of basic pay and overtime pay when working with less than pre-established staffing levels
-Consider additional rates of pay for employees working on days off
-Consider additional compensation for education, bi-lingual dispatchers, and shift incentives

Staffing
-Identify number of dispatchers to answer calls and time to take a call the correct way
-Allow for providing command and control assistance for an acceptable number of law-enforcement, fire-rescue and ems units on a given channel

Working Conditions
-Allow for breaks (yeah, right)
-Allow for employees to eat away from workstation
-Use work schedules that consider both agency and employee needs
-Provide employees options for special assignments\

Retirement (whatever this word means)
-Provide direct incentives to the recruitment and incentive
-Not differ from Police, Fire or EMS retirement plans

Recognition
-Positive recognition for employees on both daily routine jobs and exceptional performance
-Communications work must be viewed with more value by public officials and elected leaders
-Communications center staff should participate in community meetings and events that will expose the community to the role we play

After reading this article I realized that basically everything in this article is the exact opposite of what our agency does. No wonder morale is non-existant and I am on the high seniority list after less than two years. Some of these changes are actually quite simple but yet some management have just an extremely difficult time with change.

[MrJim911]

Sounds like a dispatcher Utopia. I can't even think of anything to add to the list. I think the biggies are recognition among the citizens, improved training and retirement should not differ from Police/Fire/EMS. But everything on that list is vital. Hopefully things will only get better. :D

[ladymoonlite]

I think recognizing the problem is half the battle, so we're halfway there! Those of us who've been doing this for years have known about these issues all along, it's just great that it's being brought forward.

You'll never eliminate the stress of the job - but you have to find people who THRIVE on stress and, at the same time, know how to deal with boredom!

Thanks very much sgt. w-2 for coming up with the article info!

[KYEMT325]

Well, I totally agree with what APCO's recommendations are...but knowing what I know and seeing what I've seen...it'll be a cold day in Hades before we get those things. I'm 25 years old and I know I'll be dead before it happens :-)

:rolleyes:

[MrJim911]

Bad KYEMT! Bad! You have to think positive. Look at the strides that we have made in the past 25 years. Imagine what we can do with 25 more. I just turned 26 and I'm going to get myself so firmly entrenched in the world that is 911 that I'll have no choice but to help improve my profession because it is my liveliehood. Not to mention I love this job and I want to help it improve beyond what it is. Some of those APCO goals are very attainable within the next few years. C'Mon!! :bounce:

[ladymoonlite]

KUDOS to MrJim! Thank you for saying it SO well! Half of the trouble is the attitude that "This is the way it's always been, and it will never change." :mad: That shows the level of frustration I think all of us have felt at one time or another... but as my boss loves to say (ad nauseum) "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the PROBLEM!"

Let's all be a part of the solution.:idea:

[tcsd1236]

I subscribed for 12 years or so until their anti-gun editor drove me to not renew. He has since left the magazine, but there are far better LEO magazines out there for me to spend my limited dollars on.

[Ky911]

LOL we cant get staffed due to the fact the last hiring spree we had there were 22 applications, 22 were rejected due to having an extensive criminal history. Go figure.

[MrJim911]

22 out of 22? LOL Thank God for background checks!