Employee Engagement In The PSAP: Improving Retention Through Positive Work Environments

Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, December 2014
Written by J.R. Martin, police communications shift manager for the Phoenix Police Department. He has worked in public safety communications for 15 years as a 9-1-1 operator, police dispatcher, communications training officer (CTO) and supervisor.


A career in public safety communications can be as challenging as it is rewarding.  Telecommunicators are positioned to make a difference in their communities, but sacrifice a traditional nine-to-five lifestyle for that privilege.  They are stationed at a console, secluded from the outside world.  They are too often denied monetary bonuses, commissions or stock options as an incentive to deliver high performance.  Upward mobility can be stifled because they are civilians operating in a larger public safety organization and managed by sworn personnel.  Nevertheless, the dedicated professionals working in public safety communications are willing to endure it all for a median pay of $36,300 per year.

These occupational realities can have a cumulative effect on job satisfaction and enthusiasm for the nature of the work.  To mitigate these effects, strong and effective leadership should be applied through positive employee engagement.  Employee engagement is an enhanced connection between an employee, their work and the mission of the organization.  Consider the benefits employee engagement has to offer:

• Engaged employees are two times as likely to stay in their jobs.  This has a direct impact on turnover rates, training costs and reducing the loss of institutional knowledge.
• Engaged employees are two-and-a-half times more likely to feel like they can make a difference.
• Engaged employees produce higher levels of customer satisfaction.
• Engaged employees are more productive.
• An engaged workforce has fewer formal grievances.

Employee engagement is founded upon the development of positive working relationships.  The manner in which you interact with your employees can mean the difference between fostering or damaging those relationships.  The level to which you are interested in their successes or challenges can shape how trust, respect and communication are fostered.  In this article, I will share eight leadership fundamentals designed to effectively engage your telecommunicators through positive relationship building.

Be Nice

An oft-cited quote from 19th century author Henry James states, "Three things in human life are important.  The first is to be kind.  The second is to be kind.  And the third is to be kind."  If errors are made, we want employees to positively acknowledge the error, take steps to fix it and not repeat it.  If a 9-1-1 operator forgets to ask a crucial question during a medical call, or the dispatcher incorrectly states an officer's traffic stop location, take action - but be nice.

Admonishing employees in front of their peers, speaking disparagingly about them to others or acting exasperated during a feedback session generates resentment and defensiveness.  Employees may temporarily change their behavior, but only in spite of you.  When you are nice, their defenses come down, lines of communication open and learning is cultivated out of respect for your approach.

Exist to Build Up Your People

Be a pillar of support, not a wrecking ball.  People are intrinsically motivated by positive reinforcement and recognition.  Seeking out and reinforcing their good work will leave them with a sense of accomplishment and strengthen their respect and trust in your leadership.

Most of the time, sincere acknowledgement for a job well done will yield a higher return on employee performance than financial compensation ever could.  Take the time to send an encouraging message to that dispatcher who just worked a difficult call, even if their performance was not flawless.  Let them listen to their performance later on and they will likely point out their own deficiencies and be much harder on themselves than you would be.

Listen Vigorously

Purposefully listen to your employees.  Listening is essential to forming and sustaining relational bonds.  Listening shows employees you value them and stimulates their problem-solving abilities.  When your employees speak, information about their life emerges.  They may show an interest in a hobby, discuss their volunteer work or show concern for an ill family member.  You can use the information they share to engage them and bolster your working relationship.

Actively listening to complaints has its advantages also.  If complaints stop coming in, one of three things has occurred:  you have created an environment of fear, experience has taught your employees their complaints fall on deaf ears and will change nothing, or your PSAP is perfect - which is not possible.  If complaints are ignored, morale can be brought down, setting the stage for a hostile or unproductive work environment.  Use your listening skills to change the way you think about complaints; a complaint is an opportunity to effect change.

Be Interested in Them

Engaged leaders continuously put their people's interests ahead of their own and utilize positive and personal interaction as a means to connect with employees.  When you hire a new employee, take time to meet with them as soon as possible.  Construct a welcoming meeting designed to extract meaningful insight into their experience and expectations, granting you deeper insight into their knowledge, skills and abilities.  Your new employee may have a background in information technology, teaching or management.  These skill sets can be leveraged if you allow them to be.  Meeting in this manner also allows you to identify gaps in their experience or training which you can fill through individual development planning.  Engaging them early in the relationship communicates that you are interested in their success and that they matter to you and the PSAP.

Consider the Root Cause

Sometimes employees show a sudden or gradual change in behavior or performance.  When these problems arise, avoid dealing with the symptom and take time to identify the cause.  Every employee brings a unique life story, culture, value system, work ethic, education, religious belief and family dynamic.  These factors can impact how they do their jobs.  You can tell your telecommunicators to leave those influences at home, but that is not a realistic expectation.

When armed with an awareness of your employee's root issues, you can see things from their perspective.  Perspective can aid you in understanding why they do what they do, allowing you to formulate strategies to encourage a change in their behavior.

Empower Them

Engaged leaders create opportunities for their followers to flourish and develop without interfering with their ability to navigate toward a common goal.  Empower your telecommunicators by offering them leadership and managerial opportunities that will assist them in developing the skills necessary to move up in the organization.

Give your telecommunicators an additional duty and empower them to accomplish the job in a creative way.  Loosen the reins and trust your employees enough to allow them to try new things.  The level to which your employee will take risks and show initiative is based on what they saw happen to the last person who took a risk and showed initiative.  When empowerment is done correctly, it can provide employees with a heightened sense of effectiveness, innovation and job satisfaction.

Empowerment can also serve as a tool for employees to become less resistant to change because they become part of the decision making process.  Empowerment develops leadership skills, which expands the depth of your PSAPs leadership pipeline by creating a larger pool of employees to draw from who can more seamlessly step into vacated leadership positions.

Demonstrate the Standard

Authentic leadership is reflected in how well a leader adheres to their own standards.  People want to come to work and perform well for those who respect and follow the same rules to the same or higher standard they expect of others.  Rank may have its privileges, but the extent to which those privileges are exercised must be met with some degree of discretion.  Holding yourself to the same or higher standards than you hold your employees will prevent resentment borne out of a perceived double standard.  Set the standard and live by it, and your telecommunicators will be similarly engaged in their work environment.

Provide Purpose

PSAPs need a common goal or vision that provides employees with a sense of direction.  Research into the motivation of public sector workers has shown that public workers are attracted to public service because of the opportunity the work provides to make a difference.  Making a difference is the very essence of what telecommunicators do every day.  PSAPs commonly have a goal to achieve high standards of public service.  With this knowledge, PSAP leaders can instill and maintain a sense of purpose in their telecommunicators.  Reminding them of this noble goal will keep them on a consistent course.

Conclusion

We are not the private sector.  We are not police officers, firefighters or EMTs.  We are public safety communications professionals who possess our own unique set of challenges when it comes to leadership and employee engagement.  Our unique circumstances oblige us to seek new and innovative methods to keep our telecommunicators wanting to come to work and perform their very best for the sake of the job itself.

Taking leadership seriously in our field will allow us to take charge of our own identities and contribute to the larger public safety organization we work for.  Effective employee engagement is one aspect of leadership we can rely upon to keep our telecommunicators enthusiastic and satisfied in jobs that are critical to ensuring public safety.

Domestic Violence in America; How to Handle the Call & Recognize the Effects

Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, November 2014
Written by Dorothy Cave, NREMT, EMD Program Manager at the APCO Institute


Our continuing dispatch education article this month is nothing short of a touchy subject.  As telecommunicators, you may know someone who is a victim of domestic violence - that person may even be you and no one else knows, or you don't think they do.  As a telecommunicator, you hear these calls way too often: you hear the screams, the crying children, the punches, the gun shots.  How does this affect you?

We should start this lesson by learning what domestic violence is.  According to the website domesticviolence.org, "Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other.  Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; living together, separated or dating."  Why do you need to know what domestic violence is?  It's important to know this information when asking questions and getting the answers.  Just because you have a man and woman fighting in the street, that does not always mean you have a domestic violence situation.  You have to be able to differentiate between a domestic violence call and a run-of-the-mill fight.  Is that always possible?  No, it's not; so if you cannot come to an educated conclusion, make sure you follow your policies and procedures.

Who Does Domestic Violence Happen To?
Domestic violence happens to people of every race, gender, economic status, religion, educational background and age.  It does not discriminate.

For example in recent news, Ray Rice, NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens, was initially only suspended for two games.  This came after being filmed dragging his then-fiance, now-wife, from an elevator after knocking her unconscious.  The NFL has since changed its stance on domestic violence following the arrest of another player, the San Francisco 49er's Ray McDonald, who was suspected of domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend.  The league's disciplinary action against domestic violence offenders now is a six game suspension for the first offense, and the second offense results in being banned for life.  As of Sept. 8, 2014, Ray Rice was cut from the Ravens and banned from the NFL; this came after the entire video from the elevator was released showing the punch that was thrown by Rice.

Celebrities from every type of entertainment have been arrested on domestic violence charges; actors, racecar drivers, even Yanni, the king of elevator music!  Women can also be arrested for domestic violence.  Since just about anyone may be a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence, this leads us to our own back yard: emergency responders.

In 2007, we as an industry watched the disappearance of Georgia telecommunicator Theresa Parker play out in the news, only to find out that she had been murdered by her estranged husband, a sergeant with the same department she dispatched for, who killed her and disposed of her body.  He was ultimately found guilty or murder and sentenced to life in prison.  There were at least three domestic violence reports between the couple before her death.

Why Does Domestic Violence Happen?
After reading the previous paragraph we understand that domestic violence happens, now let's examine why it happens.  According to the National Coalition Agains Domestic Violence (NCADV), there are several reasons.

Statistics show that one of the strongest risk factors for children to continue the pattern of domestic violence is to witness violence between parents, caretakers, grandparents, etc.  Men who witness violence are twice as likely to abuse their partners.  Women who witness violence are more likely to become victims, presumably because this is normal to them.  Once adults, 30-60% of domestic violence offenders will also abuse children in their own household.

Domestic violence is frequently associated with sexual assault.  One in six women have experienced an attempted or completed rape at the hands of a domestic violence offender.  That's nearly 7.8 million women who have been raped by an intimate partner.  Sexual assault and/or forced sexual encounters against women and men happen in 40-45% of domestic violence relationships.

Now let's talk about the men who are the victims in domestic violence relationships.  As telecommunicators, we don't really think of them as being the victim, but one in 33 men have experienced attempted or completed rape.  How do we handle the calls for service when it's a man calling?  You handle all calls the same way, male or female.  Show empathy to the situation, express concern and project a desire to help.

Stalking is another contributing factor to domestic violence.  One in 12 women and one in 45 men have been stalked.  Additionally, 81% of women who are or have been stalked as a result of a domestic violence relationship were also physically assaulted at the hands of the domestic violence offender; 31% of these women were sexually assaulted during the stalking phase.

When domestic violence goes too far, as was the case with Theresa Parker, homicide is often the result and the statistics are astounding.  One-third of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner.  Yet less than one-fifth of injured victims of domestic violence sought medical assistance.  Why do you think that is?  Fear?  Embarrassment?  Manipulation?

Aside from the physical consequences of domestic violence, there's also a psychological aspect.  In the U.S. alone there are more than 18.5 million mental health care visits due to domestic violence.  This brings us to the monetary impact domestic violence has on society and the economy.  Statistics state that domestic violence victims lost nearly 8 million days of paid work due to injuries, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs.  Between homicides and treated injuries, the cost annually for domestic violence is $37 billion.  How much higher would that number be if all injuries were reported and treated?

Myth vs. Reality
Now that we have revealed information about who is affected and the cost, we can learn about some myths and facts of domestic violence.

     Myth #1: Anyone can leave if the situation is too bad.  Many telecommunicators, maybe even you, have said, "Just leave."
     Fact: The fact is that leaving is not always easy to do.  There are financial reasons, love, or perhaps the victim has tried before and it went very poorly.
     Myth #2: Domestic violence only happens to poor, uneducated and minority families.
     Fact: As discussed earlier, domestic abusers can be football players, actors, sergeants and so on.
There are so many more myths and truths about domestic violence we could go on for pages, but we need to talk about you, the telecommunicator.  How does domestic violence affect you?

Effects on Telecommunicators
In a medical paper titled Emergency Responder Exhaustion Syndrome, the authors conclude that dispatchers "normalize reactions to acute and chronic stress."  There are several reasons  for this behavior in comm centers across the country, including peer pressure stating you should not get too close to the caller and the daily occurrence of this type of call.

How many times have you heard a communications training officer tell trainees to grow thicker skin?  Most telecommunicators have been trained to not take calls personally, but we all know there are times when this is easier said than done.  Knowing that the telecommunicators' job is stressful and unpredictable, we must develop the emotional resources to help cope with calls and situations.

Those who don't have an adequate coping mechanism can show signs of stress such as emotional detachment, alcohol or drug abuse, ulcers, cynicism, absenteeism, marital problems and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  How do you know if you may be developing PTSD?  Some of the symptoms are nightmares about the incident, difficulty concentrating and emotional instability.  How can you combat this disease?  Talk to someone about the calls that bother you, especially if you feel any of the PTSD symptoms or have feelings of suicide because you no longer feel you can cope or feel you are in some way responsible for the victim's death.  Remember; You are not responsible.

As 9-1-1 telecommunicators, you must abide by your policies and procedures when handling domestic violence calls.  Trainers should specifically teach trainees to handle this type of call.  For example, everyone should know what to do with the call if the victim calls in and the offender picks up the phone.  How do you handle it if they ask who you are?  That all starts at the beginning when you realize what kind of call you have.

This article is written to show telecommunicators what domestic violence is, how it can affect you and how to handle the calls when you receive them.  We spoke about those who call during the domestic violence, but this also goes for you, the telecommunicator.  If you or someone you love is in this type of relationship, please get out and get help.

Handling the Call
We're reviewed statistics and examples of celebrities, first responders and the general public who have been involved with domestic violence.  Now let's dive into what the 9-1-1 calls are like, how to recognize them and how you should handle them.

Take for example the August 2014 suspension of a dispatcher in St. Louis who was suspended without pay after entering a mistaken address into the CAD system - a mistake that led officers blocks away from where two people were shot and killed.  According to police, a woman was with a male friend inside her apartment when her boyfriend arrived.  The boyfriend assaulted the woman, but a groundskeeper for the apartment building intervened, and the boyfriend left.  Someone dialed 9-1-1 and spoke to the telecommunicator, who entered a wrong address.  Officers were dispatched, and while they were investigating at the other location, the boyfriend returned and fatally shot the woman and male friend.  In a statement, the St. Louis police chief later said, "The department expects precision and diligence when answering and dispatching 9-1-1 calls, and any accusations of employee misconduct are taken very seriously."

This incident identifies one key area on any call for service: The need to verify the location of the emergency.  It also brings to the forefront the importance of having specific policies and procedures in place for different types of calls received.

Let's consider another scenario: You are the calltaker on duty and receive a call from a woman who starts with this sentence: "Hey girl, when are we supposed to get together?"  Most calltakers would again state the agency name and inform the caller they are calling 9-1-1.  In return the caller says, "I know that but I think I forgot our lunch date!"

At this point the calltaker should understand that they are now in the midst of role playing with the caller.  First thing's first: You have to ensure you have the correct location to send responders.  Next, find out who you are supposed to be in this scenario.  Why do you need that information?  Because the offender could grab the phone from the victim and ask who you are.  If you say one thing and the victim says another, this could accelerate the violence for the victim.  As the calltaker, you have to continue with the role playing until help arrives for the victim.

One important factor to keep in mind is that even if the victim calls for help, they may not be ready to get out of the abusive relationship.  This can be an especially confusing scenario, so let's clarify further.

As a telecommunicator, you should take it upon yourself to talk to some of your first responders.  Ask about situations when they respond to a frantic victim calling, but then clear up with no report and no arrest.  There will be incidents in which the abuser is the breadwinner in the house.  Most victims are "taught" to believe they are not worthy or smart enough to hold a job; they may be convinced that no one cares if they are abused.  They may be totally dependent on the abuser, or feel they can't leave because they don't have the financial means.

Conclusion
There are several difficult factors to understand when taking these types of calls.  First, always follow your policies and procedures.  Second, if you feel you are having trouble coping with the calls in the comm center, seek help and talk to someone.  PTSD is not just for field responders.  Third, if you or someone you love is in this type of situation, please get help.

If you or a loved one is involved in any type of a domestic violence relationship, contact your local authorities or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-1233, or 1-800-787-3224(TTY)24/7.

The Reminder: "The Golden Rule"

Taken from blog by author on LinkedIn, Sept. 16, 2014
Written by Steve VanDyk, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and Public Safety Expert


I'm often asked if I miss the "action" of the job.  I'm referring to the adrenaline rush you get when your direct involvement makes a difference by helping someone, or saving a life.  Maybe it's the speed in which you ask your questions and enter the call to be dispatched.  Maybe it's the speed in which you co-ordinate your emergency responders.  Whatever the reason is - I know we all agree that the rush of adrenaline is a pretty cool feeling.  That's one thing we all have in common - whether you work for Police, Fire or EMS.

The job of a 9-1-1 dispatcher - for the most part - is comprised of hours of boredom filled with spikes of adrenaline.  Consider for a moment - the person on the other end of the line.  You're not the only one that has that rush of adrenaline.  Most people don't make a habit of calling 9-1-1.  The majority of people that call 9-1-1 do it when they are going through a traumatic life event.  Adrenaline affects everyone differently; it's known to affect your breathing, your vision and most definitely, your memory.

How often do you get frustrated with the public?  Have you ever had a caller report they were held up at gunpoint but unable to give a description?  Have you ever had a caller who was just so hysterical - they were unable to provide their location?

Put yourself in their shoes and consider the stress that they are under.  Someone just pointed a gun in their face.  A family member or other loved one is missing - or maybe injured.  We need to expect that it may take a little longer to get the information we require.

A few years ago - I taught a new hire class: "Call Taking 101."  I was reminding the class about how to speak to the public - but also how to take a proper description.  You know this: gender, race, age, height, weight, followed by description head to toe.  On this particular day I had a co-worker whom the class never met, interrupt my class.  It was staged.  He came into my classroom and handed me a blank note.  I thanked him and proceeded to introduce him to everyone.  We made some brief small talk and he then excused himself and left the room.

I reviewed the information with the class one more time and then told them they were going to do a little exercise.  I asked them all to take a few minutes and to independently write down a description of my friend that had just left - in the format they just learned.  After a few minutes I asked them to put their pens down and handed out a picture that I had taken of my friend earlier in the day and asked them to read back their descriptions one at a time.

The result: Four drastically different descriptions of the same person.

None of them were under any stress at the time.  None of them had a gun or a knife being pulled on them.  The room went quiet.  They gave me the deer-in-the-headlight look.  Point made.

How patient are you with the public?  How would you expect to be treated if you ever had to call 9-1-1?  Do you remember being taught the golden rule as a child?  I do.  A more modern translation today would be something like this: "treat others the way you would want to be treated."  This would apply to every call we answer.

Let me leave you with this:

"It is your job to control the situation - it is your job to be calm for those that can't be."

Take pride in what you do.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  This isn't a new concept - but you already know that - you just needed a reminder.

Be the Best You Can Be: Preparing to Move Up the Ladder

Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2014
Written by Crystal McDuffie, RPL, ENP, Communications Center & 9-1-1 Services Manager for APCO International.  She has more than 18 years of public safety communications experience, in addition to serving as an EMT-Paramedic.


Whoever you are, whatever position you hold, you should always strive to be the best.  As anyone in public safety is aware, there are several different roles within an emergency communications center.  Many roles carry  multiple responsibilities and almost all of them require working together as a team while exceling as an individual.

Let's begin with the role of telecommunicator.  Do you know what the minimum training entails?  What core competencies should you have to be successful?  It really isn't just being able to answer the phone, or dispatching a unit; there's far more to it.

Then there's the role of the communications training officer (CTO).  It's not merely passing along what you know or demonstrating how to complete a task.  There are other questions, especially when it comes to evaluations:  When should you do them?  How often?  How do you ensure you are both fair and consistent?

Does your agency hold initial (basic) training or in-service topics?  Those instructors need to meet specific training requirements to ensure their delivery of the course is successful.  Does the instructor understand the adult learning principles?  What method works the best for training adults?

Moving on to quality assurance evaluators (QAE), that's another set of training and competencies necessary to evaluate a comm center's quality of service.  Does that person understand how to deliver constructive feedback and when necessary?  What about recommending remedial training?

Supervisors and managers are no longer promoted based on the fact that they have been there the longest or are a really good telecommunciator.  While it's great to be strong operationally, there are other facets of the job that need to be mastered.

So how does one find the answers to all these questions?  APCO International provides members of the emergency communications profession with core competencies and  minimum training requirements, along with the skills and knowledge necessary for each of the positions I've mentioned.  Each of the applicable APCO standards specifies in detail the information that each of these roles need to know to successfully perform in their position.

Let's look specifically at the standards for supervisor and manager/director.  Beyond operations, we must ensure that we follow all applicable state and federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Labor Acts, just to name a couple.  What about that budget?  Money really doesn't grow on trees and every dollar spent has to be planned and accounted for.

Another aspect is communicating effectively with other agencies, organizations or resources that are utilized in ensuring you deliver a quality service.  That quality of service must then be maintained and evaluated.  Let's not forget about training: training of new hires, continuing education, remedial training, and on and on.

The leadership qualities and training of supervisors and managers affect many aspects of the communications center.  There are many tasks that must be completed, from budgets to scheduling, from training to resolving conflicts between staff.  Management plays an important role in employee hiring and retention.  If the supervisor or manager does not do a good job as a leader, retention will suffer.

How do you prepare yourself for the responsibility of being a supervisor or manager?  What classes will you take to prepare yourself for these roles?

Standards such as APCO ANS (American National Standard) 3.102.1-2012 Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Supervisor, and 3.109.2-2014 Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Manager/Director have established specific competencies and skills that are needed for leadership roles in communications.  These standards are intended to provide a consistent foundation of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to fulfill the critical leadership function.

In the popular leadership book by John C. Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, quality number ten is "Initiative."  Similarly, Conrad Hilton, has been quoted as saying, "Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don't quit."  To keep moving is the key, whether you're enhancing your readiness for a promotion or simply striving to be the best that you can be in your current position.

The environment of public safety communications is ever-changing and evolving; technology is moving at a speed that makes it difficult to keep up.  It is imperative that, in any role, we maintain and improve our own knowledge and skills.

Moving ahead in your career is an admirable step to consider.  APCO International provides a number of standards and resources to help you prepare.  Becoming familiar with these standards, and learning the requirements and attributes of successful leaders in this profession will help you answer the fundamental question we must all ask ourselves as we advance in our career:  Are you ready?

Negative Retention: Pattern of Complaints Spells Trouble for Comm Center

Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, September 2014
Co-Written by Linda "Lin" Ford, APCO Life Member and a member of the North Carolina, Texas and Mid-Eastern Chapters.  She is a retired telecommunicator from Greensboro, N.C. and has been involved in public safety communications for more than 30 years.  She is a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee and a past APCO historian.  Co-written by T.G. Mieure, who is also an APCO Life Member and a member of the Illinois Chapter.  He has been involved in public safety communications for more than 40 years and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee.


Our case study this month is actually a combination of several incidents that came together resulting in the loss of life, a disclosure of major problems in a 9-1-1 center and the loss of two jobs.

The initial spark that began the fire-storm was a call for help from complainant Kristine Kirk to Denver Police Department 9-1-1, stating that her husband had eaten marijuana candy, started hallucinating and was asking her to get a gun and shoot him.  The calltaker entered the call for dispatch at 9:31.  The police dispatcher (a different person) then broadcast over the police radio the information:  "332 Adam.  2112 South St. Paul Street on a report of a domestic violence in progress.  RP versus her husband who's been smoking marijuana."

Around the same time, the calltaker who was still speaking with Kristine Kirk wrote: "Weapon in house--handgun."

By now the dispatcher has sent an officer on what was believed to be a routine welfare check.  At first there is no sense of urgency.  "Be advised they do have a handgun in the house, but it's not in anybody's possession," the dispatcher said over the radio.  Five minutes later, at 9:36, the calltaker noted:  "Husband talking about end of world/life."

It's clear from the records that the caller was scared by this time.  The calltaker even noted, "The children in room with door closed."  Then at 9:43, the calltaker wrote that Richard Kirk, the husband and suspect in the shooting, was in the safe getting the gun.  The calltaker also noted that they heard the wife screaming.

A minute later, at 9:44 p.m., there is nothing heard and the phone line is open.

The investigation that followed debated whether proper procedure was followed -- looking at why the dispatcher never aired over the radio what she was reading from the calltaker on the call screen.  On one of the radio reports, you can hear the first officer on-scene at 9:45 learning about what happened by reading the computer screen in his patrol car.

Officer:  "332 Adam."
Dispatcher:  "332 Adam go ahead."
Officer:  "Yeah, according to the notes he grabbed the gun and she's screaming and the line disconnected.  Can you speed up cover?"

By this time the officer was two minutes too late.  Police say Richard Kirk had already shot his wife in the head when they arrived, and that he admitted to pulling the trigger.

The question remains if officers had rushed to the scene as the situation escalated, would they have been able to prevent Kristine Kirk's death?  The dispatcher resigned under threat of being fired for failing to give verbal updates on the serious remarks from the calltaker and instead just letting the notes go to the mobile unit, which had apparently been reported to have a problem.

As a direct result of this tragic incident, the investigation revealed that 60 previous complaints had been filed against the agency on various charges.  The one most germane to this article involved a second dispatcher and not one but two homicides in which critical errors were made and never corrected or punished -- thus resulting in negligent retention of an employee and a massive lawsuit.

ANOTHER SHOOTING DEATH
On April 1, 2012, Denver 9-1-1 telecommunicator Juan Jesus Rodriquez answered a frantic call from Ran Pal.  He said a group of men driving a Jeep Cherokee threw a beer bottle through the back window of his car and began yelling racial slurs.  Pal also told Rodriquez he thought the men had a gun.

The call transcript details that the victims were scared and in shock, but were able to get to an apartment complex in Wheat Ridge, seven blocks outside of Denver city limits.

"Yeah that's going to be...outside of Denver.  I need you to come back into Denver so we can take a report," Rodriquez told Pal.

Pal asked Rodriquez several times if an officer could come to the apartment because he was trying to recover from the attack, but the calltaker insisted that Pal go back into Denver to file a police report.  The investigation later revealed that Rodriquez could have sent a Denver officer to the apartment location outside of city limits.

The caller followed instructions, returned to Denver and waited at the intersection of West 29th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard with his hazard lights on .  The suspects in the Jeep returned before police could arrive.

After yelling "they're back, they're back," Pal told Rodriquez that his brother, Jimma Reat, was down.  "They hit Jimma," Pal said.

One minute after Reet was shot, Rodriquez dispatched an officer for the first time, more than 12 minutes after Pal called 9-1-1.

Rodriquez's 20-page termination letter said the telecommuicator failed to "decipher the situation" and despite the fact that the "caller stated six separate times that he was injured, in shock and didn't want to drive and needed time to recover," he still insisted the men return to Denver.  Rodriquez "showed a blatant disregard for the caller's health in your quest to have the caller return to the city of Denver," the termination letter states.

His termination also uncovered another complaint against Rodriquez in which he handled a call from a teenager who said he just killed his mother's boyfriend.  That call took place a little more than a month before Reat was shot and killed.

CALL ERROR, FEB. 29, 2012
The 9-1-1 call that spurred the first complaint against Rodriquez started with a juvenile caller admitting to have killed a man.  "He started to get aggressive and he forced my mom on the floor and I choked him out, but I don't know how long I choked him out for; I think I killed him," the caller told Rodriquez.

Instead of sending help, Rodriquez spent more than five minutes trying to get an exact address for the apartment building where the incident happened.  The 9-1-1 call recording shows that within 60 seconds there was enough information to dispatch help to an area indicated by the call screen.

Rodriquez asked the teenager to go outside to find the exact address of the apartment where he was located.  When the teen followed the instructions, the door locked behind him.  "I have to hop the fence because I'm locked out," he clearly says on the call.  After hopping the fence, the caller is asked to perform CPR on the man.

"Can you get close to him?" Rodriquez asked.  "No, I told you I choked him out," the teen responded.

This incident was also detailed in Rodriquez's termination letter from the comm center.  "At no point during the conversation did you actively listen to what the caller had to say or appear to understand that a homicide had ocurred."  It also said he "harangued" the caller with questions and had no appreciation for the caller's environment.

An investigation led by FOX31 Denver found that in the verbal reprimand for this call, Rodriquez's supervisor discussed scene safety, but allowed Rodriquez to return to work without any retraining."

CONCLUSION
These horror stories are real folks, as sad as it is to say.  It makes one stop and wonder how it happens with all of the training that is available, both for dispatchers and for supervisors.  Is the workload too great, the stress too high, the dedication and basic desire to serve and help people somehow slipping away in our busy world?  Accidents will always happen -- that is the way of the world, but with stories like the ones in this article that are preventable, surely the extra step of caution and attention is worth the effort.

One In A Thousand Is One Too Many

Taken from post on LinkedIn 8/22/14.  Written by Steve VanDyk, RPL, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and Public Safety Expert in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Mr. VanDyk has over 18 years of experience in Public Safety.  He is the Owner of Ultimate 9-1-1, a business he started in 2010 that has a primary focus of providing more training opportunities and better training for call takers and dispatchers in public safety.

Check out these websites for more information:  info@ultimate911.ca or www.ultimate911.ca.


How long have you been wearing your headset?  When you look back on your career, what do you remember?  Do you remember your first day?  Do you remember how awkward it felt the first time you put on your headset?

What else do you remember about your first few days, weeks or months?  Do you remember feeling nervous?  Do you remember how dark the room was or how hot/cold it was?  Do you remember how uncomfortable the chairs were?  In light of all the changes with CAD systems, Next Generation 9-1-1, and technology in general, isn't it nice to know that some things will never change!

Now take a moment and think back to a particular call that you took where you had a direct impact on the caller or the outcome of a call.  Pause.  Then pause some more.

What did you feel?

My guess is pride - in a job well done.  Maybe it was a solo effort or maybe a combined one with your fellow dispatchers and officers.  Whatever it was, you should celebrate those good times whenever you are able - and share the stories with as many people as you possibly can.

Same call - think some more.  What was it that made your call so memorable?

Successful calls don't happen on their own.  It involves you, maybe a few others - or maybe an entire team - having the right attitude and outlook.  It involves extreme focus.  It involves intentional choices.

There have been far too many stories in the news recently highlighting dispatcher errors.  The examples that come to mind quickly are ones where vital information was not given to officers, or the location was not verified with the caller, resulting in emergency personnel being sent to wrong locations.

Recently on Facebook I came across a post regarding a story in Colorado.  A dispatcher weighed in and said:

"Dispatchers are human and mistakes happen.  They only get recognized for the 1 in 1000 screw ups they make."

The question begs to be asked:  If that 1 in 1000 was someone close and dear to you, would it still be acceptable?  When did we start rationalizing a margin for error?

You have the awesome responsibility to get it right 100% of the time without blame - no excuses.  It's what the public expects - what they have a right to expect when they call 9-1-1.  It's what you, yourself, would expect if you ever called 9-1-1 for a loved one in an emergency.

You have the awesome ability to make a difference every day - but it will never happen on it's own.  It's a choice.  It's a conscious decision.  You are responsible for your results - regardless of challenges, bad days, or difficult callers.  It's a huge responsibility - but it's a responsibility you took on and knew full well the first day you put on that headset.

Take a moment and consider the following:

• When you're call taking - before you answer that call - are you prepared for whatever it is you're about to hear on the other end of that line, or are you still thinking about that conversation you were having with your coworkers.

Things happen fast - callers blurt out or yell out things quick and may only be able to provide you with that information once.  Are you ready?  Are you focused?  Missing that small but vital piece of information could be the difference between someone living or dying.

• When you're dispatching - and you're discussing your weekend with your co-workers and an officer goes on a traffic stop.  Do you acknowledge the officer and their location and then go back to your conversation - or do you still take that extra time to consider the location they are at and which officers you might send should something go wrong?

Things happen fast - the driver of the vehicle pulls a gun and shots are fired - your officer is down.  Are you ready?  Are you focused?  The time it takes for you to re-group after hearing that emerg go off or hearing the officer scream for help, could be the difference between them living or dying.

The list can go on and the scenarios are endless.  No one errs intentionally.  I don't think I'm better than you and I don't write this to judge anyone.  I write this as a reminder.  I want you all to sleep soundly and make it to your retirement with a clear conscience and no regrets.

Are you proud of the job you do?  Do you still love your job?  I didn't ask if you liked it ... or if you grin and bear it.  I asked if you loved it - the way you did years ago when you first started.

Let me leave you with this:

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be - is what you do."

Take pride in what you do.  Choose to care.  This is the best job in the world - but you already know that.  You just needed a reminder.

Mourning Our Fallen Comrades With The Black Band

In the span of eight days, the state of Indiana lost three law enforcement officers in the line of duty.

Tipton County Deputy Jacob Calvin was killed in a single vehicle crash on June 28th, Indianapolis Officer Perry Renn was killed during a shootout with a suspet on July 5th, and Gary Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield was killed during an ambush while he sat in his cruiser on July 6th.

In response to the tragedies, Indianapolis Police Officer Jeff Webb wrote a poem lamenting the loss of his comrades as departments across the state come to grips with the tragic loss of all three men.

Below is the poem in its entirety.

I'm sick of putting this band on my badge
Of seeing another brother fall.
Of seeing another sister laid out
Upon an alter before us all.
Of seeing another family sit,
While they receive a folded flag.
And know of the crushing loss they feel,
As you can see their shoulders sag.
Then I remember what this band means,
Recalling the fallen who've gone before.
Who gave everything they had,
To honor the badges that they wore.
By protecting the public from evil that lurks
In the dark recesses of society's mind,
By being the last bastion of defense.
By being the honored thin blue line.

Written by Officer Jeffrey P. Webb
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
July 7, 2014