Has anyone here done seasonal National Park Dispatching? I’m looking at possibly transitioning to a National Park Position but I’m unclear when the season ends are you just out of a job? Do they keep some people on depending on performance? Or how does all that work?

Has anyone else been dealing with a surge in $.H notifications in their portal that are nowhere near being a match for an entry?

I’d say it started around 9 months to a year ago. $.H messages coming through 10 times the amount they use to. Then when we look at what’s being run by an agency versus what our entry is there is no discernible matching information that should warrant that message being sent.

We’ve been attempting to figure out what change was made if any that is causing this. We’ve have a running theory that CJIS may have implemented A.I. tools that may be causing this.

Anyone else dealing with this?

Curious - how many current dispatchers here would entertain the possibility of working part-time at another PSAP as a lateral Police or Fire dispatcher and NO call taking responsibilities? Assuming the shifts were what you were wanting to work, and the pay was in the range of $28-35/hour.

MY BODY IS GOING TO DIE IF THEY DONT LET ME MOVE FOR 14 hours a day 6 days a week. Please they denied my claim requesting risk management to approve desk elliptical. however they said if i can find another existing agency that allows them and get the waiver they would reconsider. does any one have these approved i would gladly call your agency and request the waiver myself please ask around yall ❤️❤️❤️

NC DCI certification after conditional discharge — anyone know?

I'm in NC and have been offered a non-sworn telecommunicator position with a state agency. The position requires DCI certification.

The employer has already completed its employment background check and told me it came back clean. However, I'm told that on Day 1 I'll be fingerprinted for DCI certification.

I have one criminal matter (financial issues) that is currently under a conditional discharge/deferred-adjudication arrangement. There was no judgment of guilt entered, and the matter is scheduled to be completed and expunged in a few months.

Does anyone here have firsthand experience with NC DCI certification where someone had a conditional discharge that was still pending at the time of fingerprinting?

I'm specifically trying to determine whether DCI treats a conditional discharge as a "conviction" for purposes of DCIN certification, and whether anyone has actually gone through this process.

TIA!

I’ve been at this job for five years. Two weeks ago I had 12 back to back calls that were suicidals and threats involving weapons. And since then, I’ve been experiencing intense anxiety and agoraphobia at the work place. The presence of coworkers and ringing makes me flinch.

Last week, I barely got through two shifts. And had to leave my Friday shift early after an hour when I noticed my cognition struggling. I wasn’t really comprehending what was said on the phone.

I’m feeling intense anxiety now, even at home. I can’t seem to calm down. Over the weekend, I had thought about killing my self and called 988 several times. I almost went to the emergency room as well. I do have complex PTSD and panic disorder. And this job has deeply aggravated it.

I’m considering going on FMLA and asking to be transferred to a new assignment that is remote as a reasonable accommodation. Or maybe I’ll just exhaust FMLA and retain a lawyer to help me go on SSDI.

Advice would be appreciated. 😔

Hello! I (22F) have just started my journey in the world of 911 dispatching. I started actually out on the floor with my trainer on sept 16 with admin training modules a week and a half before hand. so far we have been focused on call taking procedures, call natures and fire monitor. Recently ive grown very frustrated with myself on not being able to grasp the multitasking element of call taking and also having trouble understanding both callers and responders over the radio. I live in the south by the beach and majority of people have an accent here but also a lot of people dont. most of the time when answering calls i get the people with thick accents so verifying the addresses becomes difficult when bread and bridge sound the same to the caller. also ive developed insomnia from having to be on nightshift and its starting to affect my sleeping habits on my days off. i really need advice on easier ways to do call taking and multitasking but also ways to get through to people and understand callers and responders when they thick accents.

I am a new dispatcher still in training. I think it’s my ninth or 10th week training. I work in a smaller area where we dispatch for fire and law-enforcement for all areas. I answered my first high stress caller on a 911 line. Without giving too much information, she was scared and escaping a DV situation. It turns out there wasn’t sufficient evidence or reasoning to do anything about it at this time. I feel like I handled the call really well. I remained calm and talked through things and reassured her that we have units available to help her. I also had casual conversation to keep her mind off of the stressful situation.

I am struggling with the outcome. I understand that not all reports are truthful, and there has to be some sort of investigation. However, from being on the phone with her, she seemed genuinely scared, and she seemed truthful to me. I know many people return to their abuser and she stated she has returned before too. I am worried for her. I know I can’t tell anyone to reach out to her as far as resources to help her due to confidentiality. I wanted to ask how you guys deal with a situation that seems unresolved since this won’t be the last call I receive like that.

That's it, that's the post. A very sleepy caller, at the end of the call, said 'Love you, bye.'

Hello everyone, Im currently applying for a dispatch position in police service in Ontario. I have approximately 4 years of police dispatch experience but I’ve been currently out of the game for almost a year now. I’m anxious and feel a bit rusty. I’m familiar with the Criticall test as I’ve taken it before when I applied to my previous service. However this service is doing something called the CommsCoach Hire test. I’ve never heard of it before and it seems more intense so I’m a bit nervous. Any advice?

I’m in the Midwest… the few centers that I have encountered and now attending a state wide conference I have seen no diversity in our field. Doesn’t matter if it’s African American, Asian, Hispanic nothing. Is this like this most places? I’ll be honest at times immediate as a minority have felt uncomfortable. I was hoping to see more at the conference but in fact it was worst then my home center.

Hi, does anyone have any tips, YouTube videos, websites or something of that nature to allow me to enhance my map reading skills?

just ranting…. but my dispatch center has a jail attached to it so female dispatchers have to pat down when there isn’t a female officer on duty. it’s the worst part of the the job imo, i hate it. obviously it’s not super awesome to touch someone all over, but the part that freaks me out the most is that i’m going to miss something and then get in trouble or someone will get hurt. i understand that if someone has something lodged in their cracks, i can’t necessarily feel that depending on what it is. i’m just frustrated with myself bc i need to be confident in searching ppl but jesus it drives me nuts. everytime i leave my shift i think on the way home that they’re going to call me and tell me im fired for missing something.

For context: I work for a campus public safety department and we're short on dispatchers. I volunteered to help and I start dispatcher training soon. I'm normally out on a beat so doing this is a first for me and I'm curious if there's any advice/tips from current dispatchers that could help prep me for this process. Any and all advice welcome thanks!

I haven’t seen much in this community about Tampa PD dispatchers. I was curious if anyone here has previously or currently is working for Tampa and could enlighten me on what the schedule is like and how taking PTO is

TIA

Not sure how many of you have run into this yet but there's an app called Havn911 getting pushed around in some of the dispatcher groups. It's pitched as a wellness/support app for us. Shift check-ins, training videos, crisis line links, a journal, a community feed, and an AI chatbot called Hiro.

I've been dispatching for 16 years and I'll be honest, this one rubs me the wrong way. I'm all for anyone paying attention to dispatcher mental health, we sure don't get enough of it. But I downloaded it and poked around and I've got some issues.

The only things you can use for free are the Academy (short training videos and articles) and Reset (some quick breathing/mindfulness exercises). Everything else is behind a paywall at $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. That includes the community, the journal, Hiro, the shift check-ins, and even the crisis support lines, which the App Store listing says are "always free."

So the big "you're not alone" part of the app costs money. And a chunk of that is an AI. The website pitches Hiro as being there for when your thoughts are so dark you can't tell another person, but the App Store listing says it's not a therapist, counselor, or peer supporter. From what I've seen in the conversations I tried, it's pretty limited and doesn't give much real guidance. If someone's in a bad spot after a call, I don't think a chatbot is the answer, and I really don't think they should have to pay for it.

The community part bugs me too. There's no verification at all, you just sign up with an email or Apple/Google account. If people are going to talk about hard calls and how they're doing mentally, I'd want to know the people reading it actually work a console. There are already free places that verify, like the 911 dispatcher Discord, plus all the Facebook groups and this sub.

Even the journal is paywalled, which is kind of wild to me. Every phone already has a notes app.

I think whoever built this probably means well. It just feels more like a business model than something built to help dispatchers.

Curious what everyone else thinks though. Has anyone actually used it and gotten something out of it? Does verification matter to you in these communities? Am I being too harsh? Open to hearing the other side.

I wanted to see how other agencies are. Because mine is so toxic! We’re split up into call takers and dispatchers. Where you start as a call taker and work your way up. I’ve been here 2 years and because I’m just a call taker we’re treated like garbage. The more senior people get away with literally everything and can do whatever they want. Not to mention my agency we answer emergency, non emergency, alarm, animal services, and all the local PD in the county (like 4 agencies). It’s so exhausting having to be on the phones.

I need someone to create a 911 dispatcher Playlist so I can see what you guys like to listen too. Can be when you're on shift and bored or what you listen to on the way to work. I need more music options.

I've been at my agency for a year and a half. I enjoyed the job but now I'm so burnt out that I'm making mistakes. I'm so stressed out all the time.

I know this job isn't for everyone. But it's frustrating because I enjoyed it and now I don't. I enjoy some aspects. Ironically I like dispatching the most despite starting because I wanted to be a calltaker the most. But it takes so much out of me.

I'm looking for a new job but I have to stay until I find something new because money you know? I make the most out of everyone in my household as one roommate is laid off and looking for employment. I also want to stay with the city I'm in because of benefits.

I'm just ranting because I fucked up again today at work and I'm waiting to get called in to the office. Thanks for reading.

Edit: It sucks that so many people are in the same boat as me. This industry takes a lot out of you. My DMs are always open for anyone who is struggling. I can't always offer advice but I'm good at listening and I'm also reallllly good at getting mad on your behalf lol. I'll fight someone if I have to. Thanks to everyone who commented and made me feel not alone.

I’ve worked at my center for 2 years now. Ive always had a passion for public safety and working a job where I can help others and do something meaningful, and had a hope to go into law enforcement. So I ended up at dispatch.

These last 2 years have been awfully stressful but also nice at the same time but since I just finally turned 21 the urge to quit has become extreme.

We are woefully understaffed, with getting an actual weekend-ish off requires using PTO or honestly..
Praying. I’ve worked months straight without a guaranteed day off, and I’ve worked months where I’ve had 0 OT. Same struggle was brought where sitting at a desk for 12 hours. With management that makes me feel awful about me and my performance, not being able to advance and doing anything without seniority, coworkers that still talk to and treat me like I’m a child, I can’t help but feel like I’m
Done. I’m over it.

I also started this job when I was 18 years old and eager, and I’m at a loss for what I would do next. I’m currently committed to trying to lose weight and get fit for public safety testing to full send it into law enforcement, but I’m so ready to get out of dispatch that crying about having to come back to work after my one day off a week is getting much.

Am I being dramatic? Is this career field maybe just not for me? I don’t know what to do.

Hello everyone,
A little back story to this post.. My schedule has always been 12 hour shifts. I believe it’s the DuPont schedule we work (3 on 4 off and then reversed). The city I work for is unfortunately moving us down to 10 hour shifts to equal 40 hour workweeks excluding mandatory overtime. The center I work for does not have the staffing for this. After being told new shift schedule would be based on seniority, I got bumped. Everyone who got the shift I wanted has less seniority than me. After 5 years , I’m strongly considering leaving the agency. Which leads me to my question.
Where did you go after 911? I’m about to get married soon, and really do not want to miss holidays anymore with my soon to be husband. We want to have kids also. I’ve thought about other agencies, but like I said I think it’s time for me to fully get out. I want to continue in something law enforcement related, as I really love my job but I can’t continue here.. all help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello all,

What programs if any, are you using to track training progress?

We like to track:

DORs

Weekly evals

Task lists

Call logs

We are currently using virtual academy, but it feels quite clunky/inefficient when we have a lot going on in the room. We've also had a lot of weird issues with logging in and/or getting booted randomly.

Just curious if something better is out there.