View Full Version : How did everyone become a Telecommunicator?
Cyclone911
02-19-2002, 05:41
I was just curious how everyone fell into law enforcement or if it was something they chose......I just kind of fell into it. My sister in law told me about an opening at the sheriff's office and I went ahead abnd applied not even knowing what I was getting involved in. This job has definitely made me gain a lot of respect for law enforcement in general but definitely for dispatchers. Now I wish everyone could see how the job really is. Kudos to all dispatchers everywhere......
:acop:
I really had no clue what I wanted to do. Saw the help wanted in the newspaper so I figured I would apply for it. Went down took the test and then every couple of weeks to a month later they would call and I would have to do something else. Next thing I know I am excepting the position. Blink again and I about to hit my 3 year anniversary. So I guess you could say I kinda fell into it also.
KYEMT325
02-19-2002, 07:04
I had been an EMT for 4 years and a firefighter for 6 years when I got this job. I was in my last semester of college, tired of working for fast food joints, and knew I wanted to do something in Law Enforcement. So I saw the ad, and applied for it. Voila, here I am still here over 3 years now. Kinda funny how it works that way. You get sucked in and never leave...LOL
Oh yeah, now I'm the only person I know that completes the 9-1-1 triangle...if you're hurt, I can fix you, if you're burning, I can put you out, and if you're a trouble-maker, I can have you arrested...hehe.
MrJim911
02-19-2002, 08:52
I had received my Associates degree in Law Enforcement and had spent a year testing around while working as a Deckhand on a Riverboat casino. My mother-in-law found an article in the paper and thought it would be a way to get my foot in the door. So I tested with about 30 other people, scored the highest and got the job along with 2 other people. Now I know that this is the career for me. Only 26 years to go before I can retire and I'm in no hurry, I love this job. :D
ladymoonlite
02-19-2002, 23:49
A friend of mine who was on the local Search and Rescue squad thought I'd be good at it - calm in an emergency, good voice, etc., and mentioned it to me. I didn't follow up on it until some time later when I moved to FL and found an opening by odd coincidence at a local PD. That was... egad, something like 14 years ago now, I guess? I still keep in touch with that friend and thank her often for giving me the push in the right direction!
Cyclone911
02-20-2002, 05:31
Everyone so far seems to just have fallen into the job of dispatching.....lol..I guess not many people go out looking for stress......
:D
MrJim911
02-20-2002, 08:12
I've never met anyone that's grown up "wanting" to be a dispatcher. And if anyone did say that I'd suspect they were lying. Cyclone you hit the nail on the head when you said everyone falls into dispatching.
tuesjinx911
02-20-2002, 16:06
I started as an auxillary(volunteer) dispatcher with a local sheriff's office in 1994, that's when I got "hooked". Was with them until September of 1998, and then went to work for a multi-jurisdictional center and been there ever since. Yes, I do love my job. I can't see myself doing anything else. One thing we can all be sure of, there will always be a need for communication officers.
You have no idea how happy I am to have come across this board. :D I have been wondering for quite some time how I can find out about training/program for 911 dispatch. I have tried our community college (Moraine Valley Community College). They do offer an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice, but I know that is not what I am looking for. I have tried to access the links to the village police dept., ( Village of Oaklawn, Il) to see if there may be information concerning 911 training programs, but there is nothing helpful there. I have also tried to find information at the county law enforcement site (Cook County, Il)...still nothing :( . I have tried different searches on the web and finally found this site...YIPPEEEEE :bounce: I have already checked out a few of the forums and I am finding quite a bit of information! I hope to learn a lot more about a career as a 911 dispatcher, coming across this site seems like a great start :)
Lynn
MrJim911
03-04-2002, 05:27
Lynn you shouldn't worry about getting training as a dispatcher prior to geting a job. The vast majority of agencies will be more than happy to send you once your hired. And I'm sure they woud be happy to send you to college. Many agencies have a decent tuition reimbursement program. Means more money staying in your pocket. :D Have you started looking for a job yet? If so where?
ladymoonlite
03-04-2002, 05:59
For Lynn & anyone else in the "considering" stage -
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not put yourself out of the game because you don't have formal training! Most agencies don't require it, and some prefer to get you "fresh" so they don't have to UNTRAIN you!
I like to see a good, gramatically correct, clean resume of customer service background and glowing reports from your previous employers. A fast learner, able to take stress AND boredom, and accepting that you WILL WORK HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS - these are what I like in a candidate. The training is all on the job, and from what I've seen training programs range from two weeks (RIDICULOUS) to a year. Average seems to be about sixteen weeks, though.
I'm the recruiting person for my agency, so I can tell you where we stand at least!
Best of luck
Mr. Jim and Ladymoonlite,
Thank you for responding. I was not sure how to go about looking into 9-1-1 Dispatch as a career because you don't hear too much about it. I thought that maybe because of the importance of the roll as dispatcher that perhaps some training was required. I do understand that from police dept. to police dept. certain things may be handled differently, but I guess I thought the format would be the same. You do not see jobs in the paper for this, at least not in this area. It seems that from reading the threads that going in person to depts. is the way to go. Would you suggest going to the police or fire dept. or the village hall. To answer your question as to how far I have looked into it...that would only be as I have stated...I thought I needed some type of training so I started by looking into the local community college and came up empty. But, after looking at this site it appears that I have to make some visits!! Ladymoonlite, you stated that you are the recruiter for your agency...what agency is that? I see that both you and Mr. Jim are located in Illinois, I reside in Oaklawn, Illinois, myself. I appreciate both of you sharing your knowledge and experience :D
Lynn
MrJim911
03-04-2002, 16:47
As for me I work for a consolidated center called TriCom Central Dispatch. Our center is in Geneva. Between St Charles and Batavia. I'm sure you recognize those, if not were north of Aurora and south of Elgin. Not far away from you at all.
If you live in Oaklawn then you might just want to start with that agency. Call their admin line or non-emergency line and see if they are hiring. Even if they are not you can still ask to do a sit-a-long to see what it is like. (listen to radios and 911 calls) You want to make sure this is what you want to do before you even start looking for a job. Your in the Chicago suburbs so there will be no shortage of agencies hiring new dispatchers in your area. Just start calling or visiting the centers. Get those applications out there!
Mr. Jim,
Thank you for all the information you have provided. It certainly has been very helpful. I planned on calling the village first thing in the a.m. Do communication centers really let you sit-along? I sure hope they don't think that it is an odd request and write me off as a loon!! :D Again, thanks, I'll let you know what they say!
Lynn
MrJim911
03-04-2002, 22:25
They most certainly do allow sit-a-longs. I obviously can't speak for every center. However all agencies should allow it. It gives the potential employee a very good idea of what their getting into. It also shows the agency that your interested in the profession. Good Luck! :D
ladymoonlite
03-04-2002, 23:11
Lynn,
If your center won't allow a sit-along, contact me. I'll arrange one for you at mine!
Wow Ladymoonlite,
What an offer!! I just might take you up on it! I sure think it would be a great experience. You aren't that too far from me either...hmmm :t- up: :t- up:
Lynn
ladymoonlite
03-05-2002, 01:23
I don't know if you got my private message to you - but I am serious, and I do have an employee who live in Oak Lawn already!
Ladymoonlite,
Yes, I did receive your post. I appreciate the offer, and I may just take you up on it!! I think it woud be a pretty unique experience.
Lynn
Cyclone911
03-09-2002, 00:40
Ladymoonlite, sorry that it took me so long to answer your question about our hydraulic consoles (I was sick for a while). They were ordered from Watson. Also talked to my Director and she advd if you needed any more info to let me know and she would give it to me to pass it along to you. Hope that it helps!
Do the Hustle!!!
:hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle: :hustle:
MrJim911
03-09-2002, 11:58
I'm looking at the recent poll changes and I see there are now 3 votes for the option of "It's a paycheck".
I'm saddened and dissapointed by that response. I would hope that someone looking at such an important profession in that respect (or lack of) would seriously consider finding a new one if they feel that way about it. If they are sitting at work and they are not happy to be there, and work only to achieve a paycheck, I don't see how they are effectively doing the job in a safe manor. :confused:
If it's not a feeling brought on by the work itself but instead by the people you work with or work for then find a new place to work. 911 centers are not in short supply....anywhere! Same goes if you don't like the lack of training or decent technology or benefits. You should have respect for this profession and the important role it and you play in everyday lives. Be proud that you make a difference!!! :D
Mr.Jim,
Ahhhhh, yes, but look at the brighter side, 8 voted that they like their job MOST of the time!! Sure a percentage are there just for the paycheck, but that's true with many jobs! I do believe and agree with you that in this type of job, you had better enjoy and thrive on helping people and each other, or you shouldn't be there.
Lynn
MrJim911
03-09-2002, 13:59
I did indeed see those 8 votes! That's great. I personally voted for "most of the time". I would have voted All the time but then I realized that the word "job" didn't have a definition. Meaning?
I mean if the question pertains only to our job responsibilities then my answer would have been "All the Time". I love what I do with a passion. But if "job" also means dealing with the admin people sometimes or wondering how HR screwed up your paycheck, etc... then my answer is "Most of the Time". And since those little negatives are part of the job I had to honestly answer most of the time. But I'm riding the fence between Most and All of the time!!!
Cyclone911
03-10-2002, 00:55
I guess I'm right on most of the time. I don 't like paperwork for one. Also, don't you just hate those days where the stupid people won't stopp calling and everything seems to be going wrong? Gosh, I've had a few of those where not even my fingers want to go along with what I want to write. Then you have the days with bad weather and people forget how to drive and end up in accidents or in ditches....ugh...Anyway, on the brighter side there is those days where its just an sweet adrenaline run all night (yes, I'm an adrenaline junkie most of the time). It's in the package...........
:rolling: :rolling: :rolling:
How did I become a Telecommunicator. I hated working at the bank, ( I was a loan officer, 3rd in line of a bank branch) Before that I used to work as a student scurity officer for a police department. Ran into one of the officers one day and he told me about the position. I wanted to get back into the LE field, and the pay was better so I applied, and had the job in something like 3 weeks. I have been here ever since. I think it was the best decison that I made in a long time, infact I think that I should have applied a lot earlier.
ladymoonlite
03-10-2002, 23:27
I have to agree that I'm always disappointed when I hear "It's a paycheck." During our discussion started last week about how 9-1-1 is better/worse than utility customer service, one of my employees said that if the CS job offered more money, he'd take it without question. While I understand that Monday - Friday from 9am-5pm sounds good, I KNOW that I couldn't get away from this and be happy - and happiness to me is more important!
In the past I moved frequently, and at one point was unable to find a position in this field, so I worked in an office. I would watch "COPS" on TV and concentrate on the dispatching in the background, missing it SO much. Okay, I admit it - I'm a geek!
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I have worked in customer service most of my life. Banking, Insurance, even the Home Shopping Network.
The reason I am looking for a dispatcher position is the variety of calls. No matter what company I have worked for, after a couple of months I just go on auto pilot. The boredom kills me.
:rolleyes:
My mother was a 911 Dispatcher here at the same dept I am at. LOL and I thought of it this way, there will always be crime so I will never be laid off :D
ladymoonlite
03-15-2002, 05:43
That is SO cool... I would love for my son to "follow in my footsteps," but it's doubtful. He hears all of my horror stories and I think he knows it's not an easy gig!
Smart boy, huh? :p
rockape roon
07-02-2003, 08:29
i sorta made my way into dispatch
after 10 yrs in the raf regiment all over the world i left to do other things..funny not much call for sniper trained internal security
experts lol...
worked in a park ??? as a security guard :(
at that time police dispatchers were employed by the regional council..which meant i could apply for police posts
lo and a behold a position came up and i applied and got it
some of my military backround included command post signals
ie setting up military command post anywhere in the world in "austere" surroundings
that was over 9 years ago ..
the job has changed now i am now employed by the police
which im not sure about the jury is still out
new ways of dealing with calls is now being implemented
ie bigger control rooms covering bigger areas more cops lol
not a chance i could go on but i wont you have already heard it before
dispaching so i was told is easy if your quiet
when is it quiet tho ????
never a dull moment thats why i do it
steve r
I was between jobs when my position came up. I'd been working in Child Protective Services (I jokingly refer to it as being a professional kidnapper) for about 2 1/2 years and was completely burned out. Took the better part of six months off from the world to get my bearings back and the job came out in the paper. I'd done my college internship at this agency and even worked with them some when I was with CPS, so I was well known (in a good way) to the boys in blue. I initially thought the job would be a stepping stone to an LE position, but after working 2 years as a reserve in a neighboring agency, I decided I was better off behind the scenes. Nearly six years later and I'm still there. Most days it ain't so bad...
Hi Lynn,
Doing a sit in with ladymoonlite is a great idea. Most agencies I have applied with prefer you to have already turned in an application before you do the sit along. Ride alongs are fun too. I know you have said you read some of the forums, but if you ever have a good hour of boredom the thread I started has gotten me a lot of great info, It's "Advice for a new hire" somewhere towards the top of the threads. I know it's long, but everyone has been so helpful. Keep in mind I think I started that thread in September of 2002 and I am just now starting my Background process. I even stated at one point that I gave up. If it's something you want just keep on at it and don't give up.
Jen
Originally posted by MrJim911
As for me I work for a consolidated center called TriCom Central Dispatch. Our center is in Geneva. Between St Charles and Batavia. I'm sure you recognize those, if not were north of Aurora and south of Elgin. Not far away from you at all.
If you live in Oaklawn then you might just want to start with that agency. Call their admin line or non-emergency line and see if they are hiring. Even if they are not you can still ask to do a sit-a-long to see what it is like. (listen to radios and 911 calls) You want to make sure this is what you want to do before you even start looking for a job. Your in the Chicago suburbs so there will be no shortage of agencies hiring new dispatchers in your area. Just start calling or visiting the centers. Get those applications out there!
I fell into the job, found a job posting on theblueline.com after getting laid off from Arthur Andersen. I was already LEADS certified and had police experience (3 years as a cadet, 1 as a part time officer). Took the test a week after dropping off my app. Scored highest in the group in the shortest time, only one who passed who was leads certified already. Here I am a year later.
Unfortunately there are a lot of depts out there that DO require experience. OL Central is one of those and I think rightfully so. They're the mabas div 21 fire center, primary dispatch for about 6 fire depts and 6 police depts. Last hiring cycle OL Central won't even look at your app if you have under 1 year dispatch experience. If you're looking in the SW burbs, you'll find most depts are dispatched by Southwest Central and OL Central. There are few that do it themselves, if you want that you may have to go further into the undesirable areas (Dolton, Dixmoor, Markham, Midlothian, etc). I know Hickory Hills and Hometown dispatch on their own, along with a few others. If you want any more info, I'm in the same neighborhood, send me a pm.
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