She was no taller than five feet, likely around 4’10” in her socks. Her tightly curled blonde hair was Shirley Temple-esque in its presentation. Her glasses were comically oversized, amplifying the size of her eyes to owl-like proportions. Nothing about Judy’s physical appearance suggested that she would be anything but diminutive and kind. Despite appearances…
The first critical incident call we take as 911 telecommunicators is the one that determines whether we are capable of what the job demands. Especially when that call involves a child. Anyone who works in 911 will tell you that, despite what you see on TV, 80% of the calls that come in are a…
“Our negative people are out of control.” “Everyone knows we have a bully, and everyone knows who she is.” “He badmouths the new people right in front of the supervisor all the time.” These are real quotes from dispatchers in current 911 centers, and they all share one common, workplace culture-wrecking theme: “Accountability in my…
What is it about people who work in 911 that makes them unique? I was recently asked this question during the Q&A portion of a presentation I had given to a group of business professionals about our industry in which I discussed the makeup of those who choose it as a career. Throughout the session,…
Books have been written, sessions have been conducted and papers have been researched, all in pursuit of the same elusive answer to the ultimate question about a career in 911: How do you continually find and model positivity in an atmosphere that often seems so hellbent on sucking every ounce of it out of the…
Six of the earth’s mightiest superheroes roam your comm center. Today, for the first time anywhere, their names and astonishing abilities shall be revealed to all! As you’ll see, you are currently among them (or soon will be), cape optional (though a cape is ALWAYS a good look). I’m not trying to make a bold…
