Humanizing the Headset

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Can you believe it's already November?! Birthdays and anniversaries STAND UP and tell us what you're celebrating this month! 🥳🎉🥂

No good deed goes unpunished. Tonight is my first night on mids as I temporarily and voluntarily transitioned to assist in the training of our new employees. The gods were not smiling, however, as I am not only forced to work the first half of the morning shift, but I'm doing it on daylight savings, which adds ANOTHER hour on top of it. Let's hope this broken day of sleep was enough!

What's your go-to snack at work? When I'm craving sweets, it's a Kit Kat, otherwise I love pepperoni Combos 😋

Whether we're answering a caller's complex question or walking them through CPR on a loved one, we are helping people in many ways - both big and small, known and unknown - every single day. And while we're not always going to get that closure, you still have an impact - even when the end results aren't favorable.

Today, we honor those who answer the call when their communities need them most. From law enforcement, fire, and EMS on the front lines to the 911 dispatchers behind the headset, every role matters, every sacrifice counts, and every voice makes a difference. Thank you for your service, compassion, and unwavering dedication to others. Happy National First Responders Day!

Welcome to a new series here at HTH - Dispatch Conversations - where we tackle tough questions, challenge the status quo, explore different perspectives, and encourage meaningful dialogue about the issues that affect our profession and those behind the headset. "That's just dispatch. It's just how we are." How often have we heard that phrase used excuse behavior that would be unacceptable in practically any other work environment? Bullying. Disrespect. Dark humor. Sarcasm that borders on insult. This is a tough profession, but there's a difference between that and a toxic environment. When do stop accepting certain behaviors as part of the job and start recognizing them as problems we have the ability to change?

The small wins are just as important - if not more - than the big wins! What are you proud of lately? Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments and give yourself the credit you deserve for them.

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Some shifts, you're firing on all cylinders! Other days, you're functioning off of 3 hours of sleep, a whole lot of caffeine and perhaps a bit of spite 🤣 that's okay! (Sort of 😜) Remember to show yourself some grace and give yourself some props for still showing up. Just try not to make that a habit and remember to listen to your body and put yourself first, too.

Sometimes, the quickest destresser for me is on what I call my "Oasis Screen" at work. I intentionally keep one of my many screens clear of apps and upload some of my favorite travel pics to my PC's wallpaper. Pics cycle once every minute, and I add a few more each time I travel. When work gets to working, even a quick glance brings a smile to my face and reminds to keep working hard so I can have even more amazing experiences.

Birthday and anniversary shout-outs for a October! Stand up October birthdays and anniversaries! 🥳🎂

Remember: you are not the storm; you are the lighthouse. The second you hang up with the caller, it becomes somebody else's issue. Either way, difficult callers are a very temporary part to your day. It's not even worth letting it effect you - because it was never about you to begin with.

When training new dispatchers or when a rookie deputy asks me for radio advice, I find myself frequently quoting a specific line from Ocean's 11: "Don't say seven words when four will do." When requesting a status check, we're not asking for a play-by-play or synopsis. It increases the likelihood that we misunderstand an unnecessary detail, letting you know we didn't hear it, and then you having to repeat it. So much valuable air time gets used when one of your partners needs to key up with something urgent. This actually happened to me just yesterday. The same applies for us TC's on the air: Give necessary details, valuable context (when needed), and officer safety info. That's it. I'm a radio minimalist, and I learned it from a former Lieutenant of mine. I want to keep the air as open as possible for the unexpected. In the words of that infamous Lieutenant, "SHUT THE F**K UP!!" 😂 The abbreviated version of this is the K.I.S.S. method: Keep It Simple, Stupid. 😜

Everyday isn't going to be an inspirational one. And that's okay! Sometimes the "victory is getting through the shift/day without losing your shit. Those days are about surviving, going home, hitting that reset button, and trying again tomorrow.

Auditory overstimulation is a very real thing in the Comm Center. Think about it: • Main radio channel (s) • Side radio channel(s) • Admin phones ringing • 9-1-1 lines ringing • Radio alert tones • Teletype notification tones • CAD & computer tones • Coworkers talking • Keyboards, mice clicks, and other everyday office sounds. All the sounds. Everywhere. All at once. For up to 16 hours. And it can create or add to the stress and anxiety. I've compiled a list of helpful suggestions to consider when you become overstimulated. While some may not be practical in the moment, they serve as a reminder to take some time for yourself when you can - even if it means sitting in silence for five minutes in the car before heading home.