In the background check process, do they always call some of your character references and employers? If so, how many? Or is it possible for some checks to not contact references, kind of like how an additional security interview may or may not happen? It's been really hard to find a clear answer.

Hi there -

I’ve posted before in here, I finally got the job 🎊 man it took blood sweat and tears to get here (literally for the sweat and tears) and I’m really excited to start.

I start Wednesday and the problem is I’m so damn sick. Terrible head cold sick, constant runny nose pounding head and what feels like something turning into bronchitis miserable. No fever though. I start training Wednesday and I’m so stuck between telling them I’m sick or sticking it out. Obviously this job doesn’t seem like one where you call out just because you’re sick. This department in particular only has one dispatcher on at a time. I’m worried about giving the impression right off that I’m unreliable. On the other side I don’t want to piss off a bunch of people I haven’t met yet by getting everyone sick. Could definitely use some advice ty

I work for countywide fire rescue secondary PSAP. We have multiple local police department dispatch centers, each are the PSAP for their jurisdiction and transfer all fire/medical calls in the county to us.

I am getting very frustrated by the amount of calls that seem to get transferred into our center seemingly because the PD dispatcher did not want to handle the call. Non-injury accidents, active domestics, welfare checks with no obvious medical need. Sometimes the PD dispatcher(s) will even call us back asking for information about the incidents that they did not ask or collect. It is typically the same centers that do it over and over.

On some occasions I’ve been transferred active weapons calls that don’t even have obvious injuries but are escalating. I have NO advice to provide to the caller in situations like this. And, to me, this is a huge disservice to the officers that are now entering the scene with no information beyond when their dispatcher transferred the call to us.

It is an extreme disservice to the caller when I am transferred them while they are witnessing a brawl or something that I in general have no help to provide other than sending a rig to standby for PD. So often times I have to do an even bigger disservice by telling them to hold on while I transfer them back to their police dispatch center so they can have monitor the incident until help arrives.

Am I overreacting by this being a peeve of mine?

Hello. I'm a Spanish-to-English OTP interpreter, I've begun working some weeks ago on this and I've been handling the job pretty well. Most of the work shift during the weekdays is just companies and stuff.

However, recently I switched over to the weekends expecting a slightly less loaded workload, but I instantly met myself with an array of 911 calls. I wasn't really trained at all to handle 911 situations past just interpreting them, I wasn't given any uh.. humanitarian resources or tips on it? I had some pretty serious scenarios already and I notice that I get nervous and my heart feels anxious whenever I'm on a saturday or sunday evening as that's when calls spike up.

I'm not sure how to go about this, maybe it'll just pass and it will become routine for me... I'm not sure. How do I go about not like, being super affected by it?

I am taking a 3 day "train the trainer" course next week and im just curious if anyone has any insight for me. I dispatch in Berkshire county Massachusetts and the training is right in my home psap. I haven't hit 1 year dispatching so this wasn't something I was looking into yet, but since it's right here Police Chief approved me to attend. Is it a difficult course? Any comments help, I don't like going into things blind.

So I got the job offer officially I start April 14th, in orlando fl, i was wondering if i needed anything specific for the academy? Any suggestions are helpful

Is there any software or website where I can go to try to play around with a schedule? Or any ideas for me? Basically our center used to have 12 people and we're down to 7 people and we're drowning. We do three 8 hour shift's a day and do 6 days on, 2 off, with a 3 off 5 on 3 off every 5th week I think. We used to have 3 on shift for days and afternoons and 2 on midnights, but we've since even had to go down to only 2 people for the first half of days (0645-1045) and I personally think we need to cut all of days to 2 people because we just can't make it work with 6 of us working like dogs nonstop.

Obviously we're all working 12s and 16s here and there and one of our 7 has been on work restriction since last year so can't work ANY overtime. We are dying. The one who can't work OT will occasionally move her shift up 4 hours to cover the back half of midnights so a sliding schedule might work.

We have people in training but no one is near ready. We've had people from surrounding towns volunteer to come here to work PT (some with stipulations like they'll only do phones) and we said we didn't care we just need people but apparently our new director gave them a hard time and it left a bad taste in their mouths and now they don't really want to come help. We've been begging for contract fill in dispatchers and nothing. As well as for the director to accept anyone from nearby centers willing to come in, train for a day or two on our software and then work. (At one of my last centers this is what we had to do bc we had no choice and it got us through). This has been going on for MONTHS and we're tired.

I'm just trying to see if there's any way to help us with some relief since 6 days in a row, almost all 12s or worse is just unsustainable and insane. This is poorly written and explained and I'm sorry but as stated, I'm exhausted. Yes, we have part timers and some do what they can while the rest barely work at all. Hence why we immediately said yes to the people from the center next to us (who were eager to help as they have NO overtime at their center bc they're fully staffed and their director fills in where there are gaps).

Our old director would fill in for us all the time but the new one will not, even if she's already here and it saves someone from a 16 hour shift (something we never had before the new director and mass exodus). 16's were meant to be for an absolute unavoidable emergency and now they're the norm. We're in crisis mode but every suggestion we make is shot down. Even some of our officers volunteered to come work if they got their straight (not OT) police rate. Of course everything comes down to money but we make pretty good money so what they're paying in OT is already mental and the hours are causing people to flee (most of whom even took pay cuts to leave).

If you have any advice or know where I can get a template I can mess around with. Every time I try to search one I get results for scheduling software the center can buy and nothing else.

Thank you to anyone who reads this.

- Exhausted

I believe every year stupidity is spreading like cancer and it’s showing no signs of stopping.

Having major flooding in the area so everyone decides to drive into low water bridges completely overloading our 911 center. During all of this I perhaps receive the dumbest call ever.

Me answering the phone during all of this.

911 what’s your emergency?

Hello my wife needs medication and they’re delivering it but they can’t get to us because of the flooding.

Can you see if an officer or Fireman has a drone to pick the medicine up and drop it off at our house?

I just can’t 🤦‍♂️

I have an issue with two other trainers stepping in and trying to provide feedback while I'm actively monitoring and evaluating trainees specifically and solely assigned to me. How do I manage this without coming off as rude or snippy?

Oh and empathy.

Hi, I have an interview for a local 911 dispatcher position (I’m in Corvallis, OR) & I really want to get the job for a variety of reasons. I already passed the CritiCall online test & now have an oral interview scheduled at the PD on April 22nd. What sort of questions should I ask the interviewer at the end? What sort of questions should I be prepared for (that are different from usual interview questions)? Any tips are much appreciated! Also, I’m working currently to have it vacated but I have a misdemeanor theft 3 charge from 2017 on my record in WA state will that affect my hiring ability? The charge is from when I was in active addiction & I’m nearly 6 years sober now and have completely turned my life around. Since the position doesn’t directly deal with money I feel like it shouldn’t be a big deal but since theft is viewed as a “crime of dishonesty” I’m worried about it. I haven’t been in any trouble at all since I got clean & never in Oregon. TIA

Anybody from a Puerto Rican Agency in here? My rookie just ran a OLN, asked me what this'n'that means, and I have no idea how to go about comprehending the ADR lines. Looks like I'm trying to read off the grid squares for an airstrike 😅

My agency has ai that answers all non emergency calls, if you say certain words it will transfer you to the dispatchers. I have mixed feelings about this and was just wondering everyone else’s thoughts

Hi all! I'm probably going to get fired soon because I'm just not progressing as a dispatcher. I try my best but I don't know why I continue to struggle. It's been almost 6 months and I still cannot process a call fast enough. The bad part is I really like the job.

This call was sent by a dispatcher friend of a friend of mine because they couldn’t circulate it themselves for I guess legal reasons, but my friend sent it to me, and I certainly can! A 911 call is placed for someone supposedly stuck in a ditch. Enjoy.

This is OC that I’ve had in my phones saved files for years, I finally made the audio file into a video and transcribed it specifically for the entertainment of you, fellow Redditers.

as the title suggests, i had my interview today. i was scheduled for 2:30, and the interview was only 10 minutes. she took me to a room and it was only us, no panel of people. there was a stack of papers and basically she would read the question off of the paper, i would answer it aloud, then write my answer down and initial it. the questions were mostly about my criminal record, if they can contact past employers, am i okay with shift work, etc. i’d say that 80% of the questions were yes/no type, and it was just really odd to me.

she said that i’d hear back in 4-6 weeks after they finish reviewing applications and give them to the battalion chief for review. but i just feel really uneasy because he’s looking at this stack of papers and deciding if i’d be a good fit when none of the questions were about me or my skills. i made sure that she knew my availability was wide open and that i can work holidays, weekends, etc and that i can do the training without taking time off, so hopefully that helps. but there’s literally nothing that sets me apart from other applicants unless they have a criminal record or something.

This is more just venting than anything else, but, I've been doing fire training for the past month and a halfish, and I should be finished and cleared to be on my own by the end of next week. I'm about to say fuck it and not finish the training. Mostly because the platoon I'm on is veryyyyyy type A, a lot of them are firefighters, and because everyone listens to the radio, they're always expecting everything to be perfect so no one talks shit (thanks to the typical toxic environment). I'm not the best fire dispatcher by far, I'm probably just mediocre but everyone gets to where they're supposed to go and they get what they need. I'm just tired of the obsessive need for everything to be just so, for people second guessing what I'm doing when they're not even correct, and for making me feel stupid. I'd rather just go back to what I know I'm good at (call taking and police dispatch).

I'm not going to actually quit...that feels even more stupid, I'm just really fucking tired of feeling like shit and like I'm bad at this when everyone else tells me I'm not. The end. Thanks for reading my tirade 😅

I started this job in October and have been excelling in my training. The agency provides extensive training in call taking, teletype, and dispatch for three different police agencies, as well as EMS and fire dispatch. The process is demanding and long, but I’ve already been signed off on call taking, teletype, and two police agencies. Unfortunately, while I’ve been doing well with the training, the work environment is incredibly toxic, and it’s honestly making me question whether this is the right place for me.

Exhibit A: When my grandmother passed away and I had to travel for her funeral, my coworkers spread a rumor that I lied about needing time off. When I returned, they had the audacity to ask if I “had fun” on my trip, knowing full well I had been away for a funeral. The emotional toll of that experience was unimaginable.

Exhibit B: Hearing my colleagues badmouth other trainees in front of me is demoralizing. It’s disheartening to think that when I leave the room, they’re probably doing the same to me.

Exhibit C: I’ve been given conflicting advice on a key part of the job—told one thing by one person, and the complete opposite by another—and when I express confusion, the response is simply, “Eh, just do whatever you want.” That kind of disregard for proper training and guidance is frustrating.

I truly wanted to succeed in this role and commit to it long term, but the negativity and lack of support here have left a terrible impression on me. I think it’s time for me to walk away for good.

PSA To any current 911 dispatchers who are making the job miserable for new trainees: Please stop complaining about staffing shortages when you're part of the reason no one wants to stay. Your negativity is toxic, and it's affecting those of us who are trying to learn and do our best.

So due to a failed tax levy there has been a lot of changes at my center. A major one is a significant cut in overtime for everyone. It was ok at first when I still had some holiday pays to make the extra income but now it’s getting tight. Anyone in here work a side job that works with this job well?

Simple question, from a LEO. What do you wish we knew about your job? What are things that LE does on our side of things that you appreciate, or things that really piss you off? What makes your job easier or harder?

My wife is applying to be a dispatcher and it got me thinking about y'all's side of things more lately. Seriously, thanks for everything you guys do, and thank you especially for your patience and help when I was still new and fucking up on the radio constantly.

Hello everyone! Just a quick question regarding calming and soothing statements.

Do you have any good go tos?

anyone that has done the perfex test can you give me some insight on what to expect!!

Thanks

Just asking a random question. Our agency is switching over to Tyler public safety and now IT says they can't have Tyler and Fox at the same time in the jail. Now dispatch has to run all the packets for the jail. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Im 18 and ive had this diagnosis since i was 15. I have been medicated this whole time, never admitted into the psych ward, never hurt anyone or got into legal trouble, and im able to live a pretty normal life despite having this condition. I dont think having this illness will make me incapable of doing this job as i can handle high stress environments and honestly prefer them. Ive done some EMT clinicals where some pretty gnarly stuff has happened, it really didn’t exasperate my symptoms or make them come up in anyway and i was able to compose myself really well and actually was able to preform some treatments without it freaking me out. Ive also shadowed a couple agencies last year, they didnt know about my diagnosis, and i had a really good time and it seemed like something i could definitely get into.

i still have some have bad days but it never extends much beyond having some executive dysfunction thats on the same level of moderate depression, and occasionally getting intrusive delusions. But im at a point where i can identify when things like this are happening and also at a point where they dont really impact my ability to work. Im currently also the assistant manager at a fast food place and obviously its not as extreme as being a dispatcher, but ive never had my symptoms interact with my ability to manage the store.

Would being able to function on such a level make it so it wouldnt be an issue with the psych eval? Is it too big of a liability to have me be a dispatcher for most agencies? I just dont want to think about doing this job only to not be able to pass the application process because of a mental illness. Because the military is no longer an option for me despite scoring a 88 on the ASVAB, neither is being a police officer. But i feel like dispatch is a controlled enough environment to where if i ever did notice something wrong with myself i would be able to remove myself from the situation without anyone getting harmed because of it, and at that it’s very unlikely with the current presentation of my disorder for something like that to happen as ive been stable for over a year.

Edit: what i mean by “remove myself” i dont mean in an active call or something. If i thought that it would be within the realm of possibility that my symptoms would randomly start acting up on the job OUT OF NOWHERE, then i wouldnt even consider this job. The last time my symptoms acted up, i was in a situation where i was in another country and completely lost and also tipsy. ive never noticed my symptoms acting up during an emt clinical or during a dispatch shadow. only ever when large amounts of stress related to my personal physical safety will happen. by remove myself i mean if i notice my general baseline symptoms (depressive not psychotic) acting up, i know that means there might be a chance of the other ones acting up, so i would have enough time, at least a few days with strictly the depressive and obviously i wouldbt go through those few days working i would wait for it to calm down and after talking to mental health experts to go back.

I have to take my poly next week and while I'm excited to get this step of the process out of the way I'm super nervous. I have OCD so when I say im an overthinker im an OVERTHINKER. I filled out my questionnaire already and all i can think is "what if i forgot about something i did" and I'm feeling guilty like I've done something wrong although I've been completely honest throughout the process. I've heard so many stories of other people failing bc of overthinking and i just dont know how im supposed to switch my brain off while being interrogated. Especially with having OCD. (I just started medication for it so it is being treated). Any advice for prep or during the test would be so appreciated!!