Taken from Law Officer Magazine, January 2011
Written by Tracy Ertl, adjunct instructor with the APCO Institute and an 18-year veteran dispatcher/trainer with Brown County Public Safety Communications Center in Green Bay, Wis.
Editor's Note: This article was adapted from one originally published in our sister publication, Public Safety Communications (Vol. 76, No.9). There are learning points important for every communications center - and everyone who might have to deal with an active shooter situation.
"Active shooter calls have a different tone and a different pace," says Julie Anderson, who was the on-duty supervisor at the time of an active shooter situation in Vail, Colorado. "The phone reports received are not only numerous, they are often received simultaneously. Some begin with the sound of shots being fired, while others begin with screams of panic. Once you have worked an in-progress shooting or heard audio examples from training, there will be no hesitancy recognizing the necessary response measures."
One of the difficulties of handling an active shooter incident is that feeling of being blind to what's happening on scene when radio traffic is quiet. I teach dispatch colleagues to give updates as needed but to practice the art of silence and listening.
"I knew what the officers were doing even when they weren't talking to me," says Bonnie Collard, who also worked Vail's shooting incident.
What they were doing was setting up a perimeter and then attempting to clear the bar once they had a proper team in place for entry. The entry took 29 minutes. Outside the incident, responders were confronted by the chaos of those fleeing the bar and those trying to re-enter for loved ones.
Once entry is made, having the control to remain silent of the radio is critical to officer safety during an active shooter incident. Unlike other shooting incidents, during an active shooter scenario, the shooter(s) isn't given any verbal commands to drop their weapon. The officer's objective is to shoot to eliminate the threat. A dispatcher calling for a status check during such a confrontation could prove deadly for scene responders. Early warning signs of an active shooter call include:
*An onslaught of calls;
*Open line calls with muffled sounds;
*Shots being fired without a caller speaking;
*Seemingly unrelated explosion or fire calls that begin to form a pattern on
mapping system;
*Suspicious person calls with possible weapon sighting; and
*Fire alarms - the latest strategy is to pull an alarm inside to drive victims
outside to a waiting sniper.
A few years ago one of the responders who handled the Omaha, Neb., mall shooting in December 2007 told me that an active shooter incident needs to be dispatched like a lawn mower theft that should have been called in two weeks ago; calm, collected and with as little emotion as possible.
As the first calls come in, the entire dipatch team needs to "plant" (i.e., settle or lock in and be ready to go with it) - even if that's a team of one, such as occurred in October 2008 at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway, Ark.
At that time, a shooting left two 18-year-old freshmen dead and a third man shot. Criss Walker was the only experienced dispatcher on duty, but tethered to Criss was a trainee experiencing her first dispatch shift.
UCA received so many calls within the first hour of the incident that its phone logging system collapsed. UCA has a campus population of 11,000 students and 1,200 employees.
Walker found himself fielding all phone calls and dispatching at the same time, which is the case for many agencies. "You processed a call and then went on to the next," he explained at the time. "It was impossible to stay with calls. You sorted through what you had and kept going. We had an R.A. (resident assistant) doing CPR on one of the victims, and groups of people running." As he fielded calls and sent help, he watched helplessly as his police lobby filled with screaming, crying and vomiting witnesses looking for refuge and safety.
On Scene
Once on scene, the responders' primary consideration is the shooter(s). Medical takes a back seat until the shooter is neutralized. At the beginning of an active shooter call, the police dispatcher must relay information that centers on shooter location, description and weaponry. The number of injured and casualties is information that's gathered, but once responders are aware that subjects are down and shooting is continuing, there's no need to update numbers.
Active shooter incidents are fast moving. "In a perfect world it makes great sense to have a secure channel with tactical dispatchers assigned specifically to the officers making entry. The reality is that these types of incidents happen so fast that the mayhem is done often before the first officers arrive," says Green Bay Lt. Dave Wesley.
Wesley, who helps with tactical training for Green Bay officers, says he often quotes a long-term study that shows 47% of active shooter incidents last 15 minutes or less and 27% are five minutes or less.
What that means for dispatchers is that far more good can be done by focusing attention on gathering and giving out suspect information because the victim harm that is done is already done.
Officer and responder safety is the first consideration, says Wesley. Without it, there's no end to the active shooter situation. Shooters will continue until they:
*Run out of victims;
*Run out of ammunition;
*Kill themselves; or
*Are compromised by officers or civilians.
This means dispatchers must provide regular updates on suspect location and firepower. Medical information beyond initial reports is saved for after the suspect(s) has (have) been stopped.
Status checks are made only according to center policy. If there is no policy in place, every 10-15 minutes is a general standard unless a contact team is clearing a building or area.
If you are a dispatcher who must also take calls during an active shooter incident, the basic premise is to keep a caller on the phone as long as you're getting good suspect information. Once that information ceases, you'll likely have to make the decision to put the call on hold or terminate and move to the next.
Shooter Down
After the shooter is down or apprehended, dispatch focus will move to the wounded.
It's at this point in the incident where holding perimeter is critical and maintaining control at staging and triage areas is vital to the safety of responders.
The following are all considerations for a police dispatcher working an active shooter call:
*The number of shooters and ongoing location updates;
*Where to send and position responders for containment and safety;
*Secondary issues, such as snipers, bombs, hostage taking;
*Escaping suspect(s);
*Large groups of people moving in and out of the area and the anticipated
effects.
*Safety for responders at triage areas because of the amount of emotion in those
areas;
*Evacuations or sheltering-in-place and the special needs of each;
*Traffic;
*Alarms;
*Explosions and fires; and
*The media. Dispatchers will often receive as many calls from the media as they
do from the public. One dispatch strategy for small agencies where a
dispatcher might serve as the public information officer is to give an update
every hour whether there is new information or not in the form of a fax or
email to media outlets.
Aftermath
Every agency with which I have ever worked after an active shooter incident has conveyed the importance of self-care for the dispatchers following the event.
We're not very good at commending each other and certainly not ourselves for a job well done, but we're getting better. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), along with Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD), is vital for the health of a team that has just handled an active shooter incident. The dispatcher is part of that first responder team and must be included.
CISM allows for the sharing of information about an incident in a safe environment without a critique of what happened.
Understanding the need for compassionate camaraderie, more and more agencies are showing support for the actions and emotional health of other dispatchers.
Conclusion
Active shooter incidents are not limited to larger, populated areas. In the current economic climate and unrest, we must be prepared to experience an active shooter incident anywhere, any time.
We think of active shooter incidents as those we hear about on the national news but truly, dispatchers may find themselves handling such an incident at anytime. All it takes is a disgruntled, armed driver to take off in a chase and then abandon the vehicle and begin firing. That is an active shooter incident, whether someone gets hurt or not. Any time we have someone shooting with unrestricted access to victims, it is an active shooter incident. Be ready, talk to your people and train.
9-1-1
9-1-1; What Is Your Emergency?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
New Standards for Handling Reports of Missing and Sexually Exploited Children Are Needed at 9-1-1 Communications Centers Nationwide
Taken from Emergency Communications Professional Magazine May/June 2010
Written by Ernie Allen, co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (Alexandria, VA) and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the private non-profit organization since 1989. Under his leadership, more than 145,000 children have been recovered and the organization has increased its recovery rate from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. Ernie has brought technology and innovation to the Center, including age progression and forensic imaging of long-term missing children, a 24-hour missing children hotline and training for more than 269,000 law enforcement officers. He established the CyberTipline, the 9-1-1 for the Internet, which has resulted in thousands of successful prosecutions.
The numbers of children reported missing or sexually exploited each year are overwhelming. According to Justice Department research, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year. Another serious threat is child sexual exploitation. Leading researchers report that one in five girls and one in 10 boys will be sexually victimized in some way before they reach the age of 18, and just one in three reports it. Finally, the advent of the Internet has been a blessing and a curse. While it has provided unprecedented and vast educational and informational resources to children, it has also posed extreme dangers for children as a result of pedophiles and others who use the Internet to prey upon children.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has helped in the recovery of more than 145,600 missing children, raising its recovery rate from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. NCMEC has handled more than 800,000 reports of child sexual exploitations since 1998 - 120,000 in 2009 alone - and has reviewed and analyzed 31 million child pornography images and videos since 2003 in order to identify and rescue these children. Rescuing America's children required thorough, detailed information and rapid mobilization of police response.
Reports of missing or sexually exploiited children may be among the most difficult, challenging and emotionally charged cases a 9-1-1 communications center will experience. The steps that are taken and the information that is captured can impact whether a child is quickly and safely recovered, can help prevent a life spent recovering from abuse, and could mean the difference between life and death for a child. The information gathered can also impact law enforcement's ability to prosecute those who harm children. As a result, it is important that 9-1-1 communications centers nationwide respond quickly, decisively and in a consistent manner when handling reports of missing children or children who have been sexually exploited.
Collaboration
NCMEC, in partnership with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED), the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and AMBER Alert developed new best practices model policy for 9-1-1 communications centers to follow when handling reports of missing children or sexually exploited children. Created in 2007, the new policy, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)standard 1.101.1-2007, is designed to better prepare 9-1-1 communications centers to handle these types of cases. Implementation of the new standard better prepares 9-1-1 communications centers to effectively assess the risk to the child, collect better information sooner about missing children and identify how that information can be used to mobilize a more effective law enforcement response. The standard also instructs on the best way to handle and the specific information that needs to be collected for different types of calls such as those involving family abduction, non-family abduction, runaways, child sexual exploitation and reports of child pornography.
NCMEC is providing technical assistance and training to states interested in inplementing the new ANSI standard in their 9-1-1 communication centers. During 2008 and 2009, more than 1,000 communications center personnel from 43 states attended NCMEC training on the ANSI standard, of which 755 were managers or supervisors and 328 were communications center trainers. Four states have taken a leadership role in adopting and implementing the new ANSI standard on a statewide basis - Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Utah. Three other states - Iowa, South Carolina and Texas - are in the process of implementing the standards statewide.
Implementing the ANSI Standard
What is holding up the rest of you? Children are our most precious asset. Communications centers play a critical role in bringing missing children home and protecting children from sexual exploitation. Every 9-1-1 communications center in the nation should adopt and implement the new ANSI standard to ensure reports of missing children or sexually exploited children are handled correctly.
Implementing the new standard on an individual PSAP basis is a slow process. NCMEC's goal is to persuade states to adopt the standard and implement it on a statewide basis. A state's required commitment is modest. States must officially adopt the ANSI standard, provide locations for training, identify the key individuals to be trained and provide help in implementing the standard following public safety answering point (PSAP) training.
An example of the types of partners States are calling upon to help implement the standard statewide include NENA/APCO state presidents, state chiefs and/or sheriff's associations, State 9-1-1 officials, missing children clearinghouses, State Amber Alert Coordinators and State Police. The cost to implement the new standard is minimal, and NCMEC and the other partner agencies are availabe to help PSAPs adopt the ANSI standard and implement it into practice.
A recent Hanover, MA case exemplified how the ANSI standard helped one PSAP protect a child. A mother called 9-1-1 when she could no longer hear her six-year-old daughter outside the apartment complex. The call taker had been trained in how to handle a case of a missing child and immedicately dispatched police to the site to search for the girl. As it turned out, a man assisting the police found the girl shackled in the hallway of an apartment building - she had escaped from the abductor's apartment and was able to tell the police where to find her abductor. The police arrested this man and the little girl was safely returned to her mother. The immediate recognition of a potentially serious problem by the call taker and the prompt response of the Hanover Police Department most likely saved the life of this young child. This is only one of hundreds of examples of the important role 9-1-1 communications centers play when a child is missing. The excellent response in the Hanover case should be the norm in every PSAP.
When children are abducted and murdered, almost 60 percent of those cases begin like this one - from a parent who can't find his or her child. Only 10 percent are initially identified as abductions. Calls regarding missing children need to be investigated until we know the children are safe. Those children who are abducted and murdered die very quickly. We know that 47 percent die within the first hour, 74 percent within the first three hours and 40 percent are dead before they are even reported missing. Time is the enemy in the search for a missing child, and every second is critical.
The fact that a new ANSI standard has been created for 9-1-1 communications centers is a great milestone. However, the standard can only be effective if it is used.
Because not all states have a certification process for 9-1-1 communications center training, a new award was developed to recognize 9-1-1 communications centers that have adopted the ANSI standard and implemented the procedures. A 9-1-1 communications center can become an NCMEC Partner if it demonstrates that the communications center manager has attended NCMEC training, that communications center trainers have attended the NCMEC Train the Trainer course, that all local communications center staff have been trained and that new staff will be trained to follow the ANSI standard. In addition, the communications center must establish a quality assurance process that calls for supervisory review of calls related to missing and sexually exploited children. Upon completion of these requirements, 9-1-1 communications centers are provided with a certificate of achievement that is awarded at national conferences held throughout the year by APCO, NAED, NENA and AMBER Alert. Communications centers are then provided with regular updates.
Becoming an NCMEC partner tells your community that your PSAP cares about children and wants to make sure reports of missing children or children who have been sexually exploited are handled properly and as a priority. Urge your State to act. Help NCMEC implement this vital standard across America.
Written by Ernie Allen, co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (Alexandria, VA) and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the private non-profit organization since 1989. Under his leadership, more than 145,000 children have been recovered and the organization has increased its recovery rate from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. Ernie has brought technology and innovation to the Center, including age progression and forensic imaging of long-term missing children, a 24-hour missing children hotline and training for more than 269,000 law enforcement officers. He established the CyberTipline, the 9-1-1 for the Internet, which has resulted in thousands of successful prosecutions.
The numbers of children reported missing or sexually exploited each year are overwhelming. According to Justice Department research, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year. Another serious threat is child sexual exploitation. Leading researchers report that one in five girls and one in 10 boys will be sexually victimized in some way before they reach the age of 18, and just one in three reports it. Finally, the advent of the Internet has been a blessing and a curse. While it has provided unprecedented and vast educational and informational resources to children, it has also posed extreme dangers for children as a result of pedophiles and others who use the Internet to prey upon children.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has helped in the recovery of more than 145,600 missing children, raising its recovery rate from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. NCMEC has handled more than 800,000 reports of child sexual exploitations since 1998 - 120,000 in 2009 alone - and has reviewed and analyzed 31 million child pornography images and videos since 2003 in order to identify and rescue these children. Rescuing America's children required thorough, detailed information and rapid mobilization of police response.
Reports of missing or sexually exploiited children may be among the most difficult, challenging and emotionally charged cases a 9-1-1 communications center will experience. The steps that are taken and the information that is captured can impact whether a child is quickly and safely recovered, can help prevent a life spent recovering from abuse, and could mean the difference between life and death for a child. The information gathered can also impact law enforcement's ability to prosecute those who harm children. As a result, it is important that 9-1-1 communications centers nationwide respond quickly, decisively and in a consistent manner when handling reports of missing children or children who have been sexually exploited.
Collaboration
NCMEC, in partnership with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED), the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and AMBER Alert developed new best practices model policy for 9-1-1 communications centers to follow when handling reports of missing children or sexually exploited children. Created in 2007, the new policy, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)standard 1.101.1-2007, is designed to better prepare 9-1-1 communications centers to handle these types of cases. Implementation of the new standard better prepares 9-1-1 communications centers to effectively assess the risk to the child, collect better information sooner about missing children and identify how that information can be used to mobilize a more effective law enforcement response. The standard also instructs on the best way to handle and the specific information that needs to be collected for different types of calls such as those involving family abduction, non-family abduction, runaways, child sexual exploitation and reports of child pornography.
NCMEC is providing technical assistance and training to states interested in inplementing the new ANSI standard in their 9-1-1 communication centers. During 2008 and 2009, more than 1,000 communications center personnel from 43 states attended NCMEC training on the ANSI standard, of which 755 were managers or supervisors and 328 were communications center trainers. Four states have taken a leadership role in adopting and implementing the new ANSI standard on a statewide basis - Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Utah. Three other states - Iowa, South Carolina and Texas - are in the process of implementing the standards statewide.
Implementing the ANSI Standard
What is holding up the rest of you? Children are our most precious asset. Communications centers play a critical role in bringing missing children home and protecting children from sexual exploitation. Every 9-1-1 communications center in the nation should adopt and implement the new ANSI standard to ensure reports of missing children or sexually exploited children are handled correctly.
Implementing the new standard on an individual PSAP basis is a slow process. NCMEC's goal is to persuade states to adopt the standard and implement it on a statewide basis. A state's required commitment is modest. States must officially adopt the ANSI standard, provide locations for training, identify the key individuals to be trained and provide help in implementing the standard following public safety answering point (PSAP) training.
An example of the types of partners States are calling upon to help implement the standard statewide include NENA/APCO state presidents, state chiefs and/or sheriff's associations, State 9-1-1 officials, missing children clearinghouses, State Amber Alert Coordinators and State Police. The cost to implement the new standard is minimal, and NCMEC and the other partner agencies are availabe to help PSAPs adopt the ANSI standard and implement it into practice.
A recent Hanover, MA case exemplified how the ANSI standard helped one PSAP protect a child. A mother called 9-1-1 when she could no longer hear her six-year-old daughter outside the apartment complex. The call taker had been trained in how to handle a case of a missing child and immedicately dispatched police to the site to search for the girl. As it turned out, a man assisting the police found the girl shackled in the hallway of an apartment building - she had escaped from the abductor's apartment and was able to tell the police where to find her abductor. The police arrested this man and the little girl was safely returned to her mother. The immediate recognition of a potentially serious problem by the call taker and the prompt response of the Hanover Police Department most likely saved the life of this young child. This is only one of hundreds of examples of the important role 9-1-1 communications centers play when a child is missing. The excellent response in the Hanover case should be the norm in every PSAP.
When children are abducted and murdered, almost 60 percent of those cases begin like this one - from a parent who can't find his or her child. Only 10 percent are initially identified as abductions. Calls regarding missing children need to be investigated until we know the children are safe. Those children who are abducted and murdered die very quickly. We know that 47 percent die within the first hour, 74 percent within the first three hours and 40 percent are dead before they are even reported missing. Time is the enemy in the search for a missing child, and every second is critical.
The fact that a new ANSI standard has been created for 9-1-1 communications centers is a great milestone. However, the standard can only be effective if it is used.
Because not all states have a certification process for 9-1-1 communications center training, a new award was developed to recognize 9-1-1 communications centers that have adopted the ANSI standard and implemented the procedures. A 9-1-1 communications center can become an NCMEC Partner if it demonstrates that the communications center manager has attended NCMEC training, that communications center trainers have attended the NCMEC Train the Trainer course, that all local communications center staff have been trained and that new staff will be trained to follow the ANSI standard. In addition, the communications center must establish a quality assurance process that calls for supervisory review of calls related to missing and sexually exploited children. Upon completion of these requirements, 9-1-1 communications centers are provided with a certificate of achievement that is awarded at national conferences held throughout the year by APCO, NAED, NENA and AMBER Alert. Communications centers are then provided with regular updates.
Becoming an NCMEC partner tells your community that your PSAP cares about children and wants to make sure reports of missing children or children who have been sexually exploited are handled properly and as a priority. Urge your State to act. Help NCMEC implement this vital standard across America.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Am I Ready for the Big One? Personal Preparedness Tips for Telecommunicators
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, May 2010
Written by Barbara Graham, assistant chief operator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. She has been a trainer with the agency for ten years. She is an APCO certified instructor and has taught at APCO and NENA conferences in Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa.
I've been in law enforcement for 32 years. Thirty-one of those years have been in communications, working the console on a daily basis. I've seen many, many changes over the years. Gone are the manual typewriters, the ticker tape machines, the rotary dial telephones. The radio console in use when I started is currently in the Patrol's museum, along with the old ticker tape machine. In fact, hanging above the console is a picture of me working, so I can truly say I am a museum piece. I have seen and continue to see dramatic changes in technology. So much so, it's hard to comprehend.
One recent change is all the talk about interoperability. Did someone just make that word up? I tried to research this in a 1988 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, in our comm center. Guess what? I couldn't find it. Don't get me wrong, I understand where the word came from. The attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001, changed our whole lives, especially our lives working in a public safety communications center.
There has been so much talk about readiness in the comm center in the past several years. We have backup phone systems, backup generators, even backup comm centers. What about backup telecommunicators? I wanted to know, "What about me?" What if I were the one working (stuck) in the comm center when something big happens? Is there anything out there to prepare me?
I tried to research communications preparedness. I got plenty of responses on comm center preparedness. APCO and NENA have many articles about how to keep your comm center prepared - what type of equipment is available and suggested. But I found nothing about the telecommunicator's preparedness. So I contacted several Telecommunicator Emergency Response Teams (TERT) and got some recommendations as to what telecommunicators should have ready in case of deployment. I finally found most of the information I wanted from the Florida, Missouri and Alaska emergency manuals. I'd like to share my findings with other telecommunicators.
What If....?
The most important step is to talk about the "what ifs" with your family. What if you're "stuck" working when the hurricane, the ice storm, the blizzard or the tornado hits, or the terrorist attacks (heaven forbid)? Have you discussed what plan of action you and your family should take? Do you have a plan as to how the kids will be picked up at school or day care? Do you have a plan if your house is damaged? Where should your family go, or what should they do while you're at work? The best plan of action is to talk with your spouse, your children, even your parents or neighbors about what to do in the event of an emergency.
Write a family emergency plan. List ICE (in case of emergency) numbers in your cell phone. Keep all phone numbers in an accessible place where they can be located in the event of an emergency. Keep a list of family members' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and important medical information. This may sound silly, but if the family is separated, this information is invaluable. Most of us know our own information and possibly our spouse's, but do you know all of your children's Social Security numbers?
Make a list of your out-of-town contacts, including names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. You may need to contact out-of-town friends and family members. Do you know their information off the top of your head?
Keep a list of important information you may need in the near future: doctor's names and phone numbers, pharmacist names and phone numbers, medical insurance policy numbers, homeowner's insurance policy numbers.
Make copies of birth certificates and other important information. Keep important documents protected. Consider keeping this information in a folder at your work or protected in your emergency list.
Develop a plan that addresses the possibility that your family might not be home together when an emergency arises. In this day and age, our families are scattered. School, work and church activities keep us on the move and rarely at home all at the same time. Discuss a plan the entire family knows and understands. How will you reach each other? Depending on the emergency situation, you may not have phone contact with each other. You may not be able to use your cell phone to call each other, but you may be able to text each other. Consider having a plan to contact a family friend of an out-of-town family member. Make sure everyone in your family knows who this is and that you're all on the same page. Consider having a neighborhood meeting place or a regional meeting place. Do you have children in schools or day-care facilities? How will you reach them? Is there a plan in place at the school or day-care facility if you can't get there? Do you know the evacuation locations in your area? Find out, and make sure your family knows. The better prepared your family is, the better your family will be able to face an emergency situation.
Shelter at Home
Include two scenarios in your family plan: one for home and a second one if you should have to evacuate. You may not have a choice in this decision; officials may order you to leave. You can prepare a shelter at home, and you can also prepare a "go kit" if you have to leave your home. Remember, you could be at work when your family must face these decisions without you. It will make it easier for them if they know exactly what to do. Remind them to use common sense and stay calm.
If you must shelter at home, choose the most secure room in your house. Select a room with few windows or doors. The room should be large enough for the whole family, including pets. Keep the exterior doors locked. Remember to also have your emergency supplies in this room, along with a television or a battery-powered radio to listen for updated information.
Remember, during an emergency, the electricity may not be working. You may not be able to get food or water. Have three days' worth of food and fresh water. Remember to have at least one gallon of water for each individual for each day. If room is available, try to store two weeks' worth of water for each person.
Other items you should have in your shelter are flashlights, a radio, extra batteries, prescription medicine, first aid kit, blankets, clothing, cash, eating utensils, duct tape, heavy-duty plastic bags, matches, paper, pencil, needle, thread, toilet paper, liquid detergent, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deoderant, bleach, plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant and a whistle to signal for help. Don't forget the cash. ATMs don't work without power.
Go Kits
Find a tote bag or a backpack, and put together a go kit. The kit can be kept at home, in the car or at work. You'll need some of the same items you have in your shelter: a gallon of water per person, several cans of food or dried foods, manual can opener, flashlight, extra batteries, blankets or sleeping bag, first aid supplies, extra money and personal hygiene items.
I brought a big plastic tub into work and encourage my co-workers to bring in non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, oatmeal, tuna, peanut butter, etc. to have on hand in case of an emergency. If we're out of electricity, that means our snack machines won't work and we'll need something to eat.
Here are some suggestions of what to have on hand in case you're the one who's stuck behind the console when the big one hits - whichever the big one is:
Written by Barbara Graham, assistant chief operator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. She has been a trainer with the agency for ten years. She is an APCO certified instructor and has taught at APCO and NENA conferences in Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa.
I've been in law enforcement for 32 years. Thirty-one of those years have been in communications, working the console on a daily basis. I've seen many, many changes over the years. Gone are the manual typewriters, the ticker tape machines, the rotary dial telephones. The radio console in use when I started is currently in the Patrol's museum, along with the old ticker tape machine. In fact, hanging above the console is a picture of me working, so I can truly say I am a museum piece. I have seen and continue to see dramatic changes in technology. So much so, it's hard to comprehend.
One recent change is all the talk about interoperability. Did someone just make that word up? I tried to research this in a 1988 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, in our comm center. Guess what? I couldn't find it. Don't get me wrong, I understand where the word came from. The attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001, changed our whole lives, especially our lives working in a public safety communications center.
There has been so much talk about readiness in the comm center in the past several years. We have backup phone systems, backup generators, even backup comm centers. What about backup telecommunicators? I wanted to know, "What about me?" What if I were the one working (stuck) in the comm center when something big happens? Is there anything out there to prepare me?
I tried to research communications preparedness. I got plenty of responses on comm center preparedness. APCO and NENA have many articles about how to keep your comm center prepared - what type of equipment is available and suggested. But I found nothing about the telecommunicator's preparedness. So I contacted several Telecommunicator Emergency Response Teams (TERT) and got some recommendations as to what telecommunicators should have ready in case of deployment. I finally found most of the information I wanted from the Florida, Missouri and Alaska emergency manuals. I'd like to share my findings with other telecommunicators.
What If....?
The most important step is to talk about the "what ifs" with your family. What if you're "stuck" working when the hurricane, the ice storm, the blizzard or the tornado hits, or the terrorist attacks (heaven forbid)? Have you discussed what plan of action you and your family should take? Do you have a plan as to how the kids will be picked up at school or day care? Do you have a plan if your house is damaged? Where should your family go, or what should they do while you're at work? The best plan of action is to talk with your spouse, your children, even your parents or neighbors about what to do in the event of an emergency.
Write a family emergency plan. List ICE (in case of emergency) numbers in your cell phone. Keep all phone numbers in an accessible place where they can be located in the event of an emergency. Keep a list of family members' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and important medical information. This may sound silly, but if the family is separated, this information is invaluable. Most of us know our own information and possibly our spouse's, but do you know all of your children's Social Security numbers?
Make a list of your out-of-town contacts, including names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. You may need to contact out-of-town friends and family members. Do you know their information off the top of your head?
Keep a list of important information you may need in the near future: doctor's names and phone numbers, pharmacist names and phone numbers, medical insurance policy numbers, homeowner's insurance policy numbers.
Make copies of birth certificates and other important information. Keep important documents protected. Consider keeping this information in a folder at your work or protected in your emergency list.
Develop a plan that addresses the possibility that your family might not be home together when an emergency arises. In this day and age, our families are scattered. School, work and church activities keep us on the move and rarely at home all at the same time. Discuss a plan the entire family knows and understands. How will you reach each other? Depending on the emergency situation, you may not have phone contact with each other. You may not be able to use your cell phone to call each other, but you may be able to text each other. Consider having a plan to contact a family friend of an out-of-town family member. Make sure everyone in your family knows who this is and that you're all on the same page. Consider having a neighborhood meeting place or a regional meeting place. Do you have children in schools or day-care facilities? How will you reach them? Is there a plan in place at the school or day-care facility if you can't get there? Do you know the evacuation locations in your area? Find out, and make sure your family knows. The better prepared your family is, the better your family will be able to face an emergency situation.
Shelter at Home
Include two scenarios in your family plan: one for home and a second one if you should have to evacuate. You may not have a choice in this decision; officials may order you to leave. You can prepare a shelter at home, and you can also prepare a "go kit" if you have to leave your home. Remember, you could be at work when your family must face these decisions without you. It will make it easier for them if they know exactly what to do. Remind them to use common sense and stay calm.
If you must shelter at home, choose the most secure room in your house. Select a room with few windows or doors. The room should be large enough for the whole family, including pets. Keep the exterior doors locked. Remember to also have your emergency supplies in this room, along with a television or a battery-powered radio to listen for updated information.
Remember, during an emergency, the electricity may not be working. You may not be able to get food or water. Have three days' worth of food and fresh water. Remember to have at least one gallon of water for each individual for each day. If room is available, try to store two weeks' worth of water for each person.
Other items you should have in your shelter are flashlights, a radio, extra batteries, prescription medicine, first aid kit, blankets, clothing, cash, eating utensils, duct tape, heavy-duty plastic bags, matches, paper, pencil, needle, thread, toilet paper, liquid detergent, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deoderant, bleach, plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant and a whistle to signal for help. Don't forget the cash. ATMs don't work without power.
Go Kits
Find a tote bag or a backpack, and put together a go kit. The kit can be kept at home, in the car or at work. You'll need some of the same items you have in your shelter: a gallon of water per person, several cans of food or dried foods, manual can opener, flashlight, extra batteries, blankets or sleeping bag, first aid supplies, extra money and personal hygiene items.
I brought a big plastic tub into work and encourage my co-workers to bring in non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, oatmeal, tuna, peanut butter, etc. to have on hand in case of an emergency. If we're out of electricity, that means our snack machines won't work and we'll need something to eat.
Here are some suggestions of what to have on hand in case you're the one who's stuck behind the console when the big one hits - whichever the big one is:
- Medication and copies of prescription;
- Nonperishable food items;
- Water - 1 gallon per person per day;
- Personal hygiene items;
- Complete change of clothes;
- Eyeglasses/contact solution;
- Paperwork;
- First aid kit;
- Flashlight/batteries;
- Cell phone charger;
- Blanket;
- Bucket with tight fitting lid;
- Heavy-duty trash bags;
- Utility knife;
- Matches/lighter;
- Small toolkit;
- Battery-operated radio;
- Leather/latex gloves;
- Mess kit;
- Bleach; and
- Rope
Final Thoughts
When considering worst-case scenarios for your comm center, don't forget to consider your own preparations. Make a family plan. I also encourage every telecommunicator to start your own go kit to keep in the trunk of your car or in the work storage area.
Livable Centers: Creature Comforts & Beyond
Taken from Public Safety Communications, May 2010
Written by Steven E. Loomis, LEED AP, FAIA and Nathan D. McClure III, MPAM ENP
Mr. Loomis is an assistant vice president and the justice and public safety design director for AECOM. He has more than 20 years of professional architectural practice. Mr. McClure is an associate and public safety consultant at AECOM. He has more than 40 years of public safety communications experience and is a past president of APCO International.
The next-generation PSAP is characterized largely by the attention to livable spaces, beginning with the communications room and carrying through to supporting spaces. From ergonomically designed consoles and chairs to lighting and sound control, facility designs that provide relief from daily stress increase job satisfaction, retention and service delivery.
Let there be light: The main operations room must be efficient and uplifting. Contributing to ultimate livability, large windows can offer natural light and calming views. New glass technologies make natural light possible even in areas with the most severe weather. When possible, windows should take advantage of diffused northern light to avoid glare and uneven heating conditions. If this orientation is not possible, or other views are desired, automatic rolling blinds can be installed.
Another way to get diffused natural light into the operations area is a light shelf that spans between the outside and inside of the exterior glass and effectively bounces sunlight up onto the ceiling. Artificial lights can be switched off when there's enough ambient light entering the space, which supports green, sustainable principles.
This concept works best with higher ceilings. The height should be proportional to the size of the footprint of the roon. For most medium to large centers, this results in a ceiling that's about one-and-a-half stories high. This spacious setting allows for indirect light fixtures to be used much like the light shelf. The fixtures are suspended from the ceiling and direct their light upward, providing a similar diffuse lighting effect. Task lights can be used at each workstation. Our experience suggests that a lower light level is desired in most operations center.
Sound control: Acoustics can be affected by wall placement and other elements, such as floating or irregular ceiling panels. Non-parallel room surfaces can eliminate "flutter" echo and effectively dissipate conversational noise. Acoustic wall panels and carpeted floors contribute to a queit room, and most console furniture have acoustic panels to provide separation between operators.
Non-optional amenities: Break rooms, kitchens, quiet rooms, restrooms, lockers and physical fitness areas are considered standard for next-generation facilities.
Like the operations floor, break rooms should have natural light, and most dispatchers prefer an open, inviting setting where they can get away from the action of the floor. The break room may be completely separate or remote from operations, which may be possible only in larger centers where sufficient relief is available for breaks. Smaller centers generally request that these areas be immediately adjacant to the work space.
Basic break room elements include a kitchen or kitchenette, dining tables, vending machines and casual seating. Often a TV is available, and some centers have fountain drink machines. The kitchen design depends on the number of telecommunicators and departments. Many centers have a full-size range with a hood, but others have only a cook-top or microwave. Sometimes a commercial range hood and chemical fire suppression system are required even for residential appliances. Often, several refrigerators are provided too so each shift or department can have its own. Pantry space should be included.
Additional considerations: Soft seating, computer stations and telephones. Highly livable centers include an adjacent, secure, outside break area, allowing dispatchers an opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air before returning to work. Out of public view, break areas can be outdoor gardens with benches and a covered area for group activities, such as staff picnics. Some centers even include gas barbecues, located on a raised balcony or roof area or enclosed behind a screen wall next to a first floor break room.
Exercise rooms provide employees with a great outlet for stress reduction. The most livable centers plan for a reasonable amount of equipment and size the room accordingly. Showers and changing lockers need to be provided in close proximity to these facilities. These spaces are also critical in times of extended work shifts and uncertain home conditions, which may be the case during large-scale disasters.
Quiet rooms provide the respite required by telecommunicators after a particularly traumatic call or event. Ideally, the quiet room should be located adjacent to the dispatch floor in order to provide easy access to the dispatcher, as well as allow supervisor observation.
Livability issues and support spaces are more than mere functional requirements. Providing needed relief from the daily high stress activity, these livable principles and design concepts promote employee wellness and satisfaction with working conditions - one of the most important factors in employee retention.
Written by Steven E. Loomis, LEED AP, FAIA and Nathan D. McClure III, MPAM ENP
Mr. Loomis is an assistant vice president and the justice and public safety design director for AECOM. He has more than 20 years of professional architectural practice. Mr. McClure is an associate and public safety consultant at AECOM. He has more than 40 years of public safety communications experience and is a past president of APCO International.
The next-generation PSAP is characterized largely by the attention to livable spaces, beginning with the communications room and carrying through to supporting spaces. From ergonomically designed consoles and chairs to lighting and sound control, facility designs that provide relief from daily stress increase job satisfaction, retention and service delivery.
Let there be light: The main operations room must be efficient and uplifting. Contributing to ultimate livability, large windows can offer natural light and calming views. New glass technologies make natural light possible even in areas with the most severe weather. When possible, windows should take advantage of diffused northern light to avoid glare and uneven heating conditions. If this orientation is not possible, or other views are desired, automatic rolling blinds can be installed.
Another way to get diffused natural light into the operations area is a light shelf that spans between the outside and inside of the exterior glass and effectively bounces sunlight up onto the ceiling. Artificial lights can be switched off when there's enough ambient light entering the space, which supports green, sustainable principles.
This concept works best with higher ceilings. The height should be proportional to the size of the footprint of the roon. For most medium to large centers, this results in a ceiling that's about one-and-a-half stories high. This spacious setting allows for indirect light fixtures to be used much like the light shelf. The fixtures are suspended from the ceiling and direct their light upward, providing a similar diffuse lighting effect. Task lights can be used at each workstation. Our experience suggests that a lower light level is desired in most operations center.
Sound control: Acoustics can be affected by wall placement and other elements, such as floating or irregular ceiling panels. Non-parallel room surfaces can eliminate "flutter" echo and effectively dissipate conversational noise. Acoustic wall panels and carpeted floors contribute to a queit room, and most console furniture have acoustic panels to provide separation between operators.
Non-optional amenities: Break rooms, kitchens, quiet rooms, restrooms, lockers and physical fitness areas are considered standard for next-generation facilities.
Like the operations floor, break rooms should have natural light, and most dispatchers prefer an open, inviting setting where they can get away from the action of the floor. The break room may be completely separate or remote from operations, which may be possible only in larger centers where sufficient relief is available for breaks. Smaller centers generally request that these areas be immediately adjacant to the work space.
Basic break room elements include a kitchen or kitchenette, dining tables, vending machines and casual seating. Often a TV is available, and some centers have fountain drink machines. The kitchen design depends on the number of telecommunicators and departments. Many centers have a full-size range with a hood, but others have only a cook-top or microwave. Sometimes a commercial range hood and chemical fire suppression system are required even for residential appliances. Often, several refrigerators are provided too so each shift or department can have its own. Pantry space should be included.
Additional considerations: Soft seating, computer stations and telephones. Highly livable centers include an adjacent, secure, outside break area, allowing dispatchers an opportunity to catch a breath of fresh air before returning to work. Out of public view, break areas can be outdoor gardens with benches and a covered area for group activities, such as staff picnics. Some centers even include gas barbecues, located on a raised balcony or roof area or enclosed behind a screen wall next to a first floor break room.
Exercise rooms provide employees with a great outlet for stress reduction. The most livable centers plan for a reasonable amount of equipment and size the room accordingly. Showers and changing lockers need to be provided in close proximity to these facilities. These spaces are also critical in times of extended work shifts and uncertain home conditions, which may be the case during large-scale disasters.
Quiet rooms provide the respite required by telecommunicators after a particularly traumatic call or event. Ideally, the quiet room should be located adjacent to the dispatch floor in order to provide easy access to the dispatcher, as well as allow supervisor observation.
Livability issues and support spaces are more than mere functional requirements. Providing needed relief from the daily high stress activity, these livable principles and design concepts promote employee wellness and satisfaction with working conditions - one of the most important factors in employee retention.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Who's In Charge? Tenure Does Not Equal Leadership
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, May 2010
Written by Kelly M. Sharp, co-owner of Workplace Consulting NW. She holds a Master's degree in Education from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors degree in Commuication from Washington State University. She has 14 years' experience as a police/fire/medical dispatcher and is a Certified Training Officer for APCO and CJTC.
It's 3:30 a.m. in a typical comm center and the skeleton crew, made up of the lowest seniority dispatchers, is working the graveyard shift. Call volume is nonexistent, radio traffic is low, the magazines are out, and the night progresses at its normal, boring pace. Suddenly, the phones light up with calls of a multi-level office building fire, or a frantic call comes in reporting a major chemical spill at a manufacturing plant or an officer is shot. What happens next can determine the success or failure of the incident.
It becomes a question of "who." Who do the dispatchers turn to? Who is in command of the comm center? Who sees the overall picture? Who has the leadership ability to help her fellow dispatcher through the disaster? In many understaffed dispatch centers, the person in charge is often simply the person with the most seniority. But tenure does not always equal leadership, and this can be fatal during a major incident.
In most comm centers, there are three levels of supervisors. First, is the person who officially holds the title. This person is usually someone experienced in the job itself and who has been promoted through some kind of interview or testing process. At this level, it should be assumed that the supervisor has been provided with basic supervisory or leadership training, understands the overall needs of the center and has the ability to coordinate and evaluate her staff.
The second level of supervisor is the acting watch or lead. At this level, employees are experienced enough in the job to be able to answer questions from co-workers and oversee the basic operations of the comm center. The best lead programs involve a testing process that reviews evaluations and job skills and an interview process that asks the employee how she would react in specific situations. Leadership or supervisor training classes would then be provided to educate the new lead on how to respond to supervisory challenges or during emergencies. Although this level of supervisor is not responsible for overall performance of the employees, they can be expected to run the center without supervision and may also be asked to provide input on employee evaluations.
The third level of supervisor comprises those who are forced into the position by default. Usually found on graveyard shifts, this supervisor is in charge based only on their hire date. In this model, the most qualified person to supervise the shift is the one with the most seniority, regardless of their ability to lead others. These people have usually had no training of any kind and are simply there to answer job-related questions and make decisions.
The Default Supervisor
The challenge facing many comm centers is a lack of supervisory preparation for a major incident. It has often been said that supervising dispatchers is like herding cats: If they're going the same direction you are, great; if not, you're in trouble. Established supervisors often have challenges getting those around them to head the direction they want them to, but supervisors who switch back and forth from being a co-worker to being the one in charge often have no chance of leadership - even before a major incident.
There can be two specific challenges for a supervisor during a major event. First, those in charge are often considered to be a working part of the shift, so they're too busy answering 9-1-1 lines or working radios to be able to step back and see the big picture. This leaves the supervisor with the decision that may set the tone of the event: Do they let the 9-1-1 lines ring and coordinate a response to the incident? Or do they continue to answer 9-1-1 lines and hope their co-workers can handle the rest without them? Although most dispatchers have exceptional multi-tasking skills, the reality is that very few have the skills needed to successfully synchronize a major incident while still answering phones or working radios. Expecting them to do so is setting them up for failure.
The second challenge is defining the position the supervisor will fill during a significant event. When running a major incident, the supervisor needs to take the role of coordinator or commander and control the situation by answering questions, providing information and coordinating resources for the call-takers and dispatchers. This can include communicating with sergeants or fire chiefs, advising administrative staff or emergency services personnel, calling in additional staff for overtime or ensuring employees are provided with breaks.
Of course, knowing what the person in charge should be doing and understanding how to do it are two separate things. In their article "Asking the Right Questions About Leadership: Discussions and Conclusions," J. Richard Hackman and Ruth Wageman say, "Leading well, therefore, may require a considerable degree of emotional maturity in dealing with one's own and others' anxieties." This means that not only must the lead or default supervisor understand the needs of the position but they must also have the ability to understand the needs of the people.
A leader is only a leader if they have followers. When a lead dispatcher is promoted on the basis of a testing process but then not provided with any leadership training, or a default supervisor is simply put "in charge," they may find they have no one willing to follow them. Dispatchers are notoriously autonomous and may simply ignore the direction of someone they don't feel is a true leader capable of providing them with direction. Add to that the fact that often the default supervisor is in charge of a low-seniority crew, who may not have the experience to make the correct decisions, and suddenly there's a complete breakdown in communication.
For example, Andrea was promoted to lead dispatcher two years ago but has not been provided with any training in how to supervise. One night, one of her graveyard dispatchers limped into work and told her he had sprained his ankle earlier that day, but he's doing OK because the doctor gave him Vicoden and he took "a couple." She can tell that he's impaired but does not have the confidence in her abilities or position to send him home. She tries to reach her supervisor at home for advice, but he's not answering the phone. She is too unnerved to call the director at home and admit she cannot handle the situation. So she tells the dispatcher to go work on the phones and hopes for the best.
Or take default supervisor Liz, a dispatcher for 23 years. She is not the best dispatcher or the worst, but rather her job skills range in the middle ground on her yearly evaluation. She is considered an adequate dispatcher by her co-workers, but she has no leadership skills. Regardless, based strictly on her seniority, she is in charge every day from 0300 to 0700 with a crew that has fewer than five years of experience. Now add a domestic violence shooting at a local manufacturing plant and a structure fire.
Liz has worked multiple incidents in her career and understands what to do as a dispatcher. She has years of experience knowing what units to send, how to call in SWAT, how to coordinate with her sergeants, how to control her radio traffic. She understands the logistics of dispatching fire, coordinating with the battalion chiefs and rescue and how to call out additional fire resources. The problem is that Liz is now in charge of the center and no one has ever taught her how to lead her dispatchers. Barb, over at police, is undone because the sergeant wants her to page out a sniper, while Samantha at fire can't find the number for public works for road-closed signs, and the phones are ringing off the hook. Liz, as supervisor, decides her best option is to continue to answer 9-1-1 calls and let the dispatchers fend for themselves.
Even worse, think about the typical graveyard crew made up of dispatchers who all, including the default supervisor, have less than four years of experience. When they get a big incident, they are left to decide as a team how they will handle it based on their experience and knowledge. The only problem is that their experience and knowledge have not prepared them for this type of situation.
Comm center directors, managers and supervisors need to take a hard look at the leadership skills of those who are tasked to be the go-to person during a major incident. Does the person in charge have the leadership skills necessary to coordinate the needs of police, fire, citizens and dispatchers? Have they received training in how to lead and how to deal with emergencies from the supervisor's point of view? And most importantly, do those on the frontlines feel they can follow the person who has been left in charge?
Plan Ahead
In all three of the previous scenarios, employees were asked to respond to situations outside their normal field of work and outside their training. This, of course, leads into the problem of negligence. If the comm center manager is lucky, the crew will work together to come up with a solution to the challenge they are facing. This does not imply they will make the correct decision, but rather they will pick the one that sounds best to them. But what happens when the staff, either the acting supervisor or the group, makes the wrong decision? Should they be punished? If so, the employees are in the position of being blamed for not knowing what to do simply because they lacked training. Or should the blame go to the administrator who chose to leave a 9-1-1 center with an inexperienced or untrained supervisor? Either way, it's a no-win situation.
So, how can this situation be prevented? In their article, "Looking for Dr. Jekyll but Hiring Mr. Hyde: Preventing Negligent Hiring, Supervision, Retention, and Training." Kathryn Lewis and Susan Garner state, "Prevention begins by confirming the knowledge and skill levels of new employees and appropriately training them to perform their jobs correctly and safely."
This applies even more for those who are in a supervisory capacity, regardless of the level. First, each shift must have someone in charge, and that person must be minimally qualified and trained, not just assigned by seniority. Administrators must look at each person on the shift and consciously choose who the best leader will be. The employee who has 23 years in dispatch may not be as qualified as the employee who has only been employed for three years, but who served two tours of duty leading soldiers in Iraq.
Second, there must be some kind of vetting process to select a person in charge, even if it's only for a few hours. Many comm centers believe they can "get away" with having seniority supervision for just a few hours each day because nothing has gone wrong in the past. This is dangerous thinking. The same applies for those who say they have no one who is qualified or who could pass an interview for the lead position. Those administrators may want to review the concept of negligence and re-think their strategy.
After the acting watch or lead is selected, they need to have some kind of formal, documented training. An acting watch or lead, although not responsible for the formal duties of a supervisor, still needs guidance on how to react in an emergency situation or what to do with a significant personnel issue. Another benefit: The more training they receive, the better chance they have of being able to count on their co-workers to follow their decisions.
Acting watch or lead training does not have to be intensive supervisory style training. Rather, it's training provided to help the lead determine how to make decisions and where to go for help. Lists of phone numbers for people who are on call for guidance, opportunities to shadow full-time supervisors, even handbooks providing training and guidelines are all cost-effective options.
To successfully lead a crew through a disaster or major incident, the person in charge needs to have an understanding of the needs of the job, the trust of the staff and the ability to make decisions and stand by them. Even senior employees, with their years of job-related experience, may not have the leadership skills to successfully navigate the trials of a disaster. Administrators who take care to select leaders based on more than just time on the job, and then train them appropriately, can go a long way toward increasing the chance of success for everyone involved.
Written by Kelly M. Sharp, co-owner of Workplace Consulting NW. She holds a Master's degree in Education from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors degree in Commuication from Washington State University. She has 14 years' experience as a police/fire/medical dispatcher and is a Certified Training Officer for APCO and CJTC.
It's 3:30 a.m. in a typical comm center and the skeleton crew, made up of the lowest seniority dispatchers, is working the graveyard shift. Call volume is nonexistent, radio traffic is low, the magazines are out, and the night progresses at its normal, boring pace. Suddenly, the phones light up with calls of a multi-level office building fire, or a frantic call comes in reporting a major chemical spill at a manufacturing plant or an officer is shot. What happens next can determine the success or failure of the incident.
It becomes a question of "who." Who do the dispatchers turn to? Who is in command of the comm center? Who sees the overall picture? Who has the leadership ability to help her fellow dispatcher through the disaster? In many understaffed dispatch centers, the person in charge is often simply the person with the most seniority. But tenure does not always equal leadership, and this can be fatal during a major incident.
In most comm centers, there are three levels of supervisors. First, is the person who officially holds the title. This person is usually someone experienced in the job itself and who has been promoted through some kind of interview or testing process. At this level, it should be assumed that the supervisor has been provided with basic supervisory or leadership training, understands the overall needs of the center and has the ability to coordinate and evaluate her staff.
The second level of supervisor is the acting watch or lead. At this level, employees are experienced enough in the job to be able to answer questions from co-workers and oversee the basic operations of the comm center. The best lead programs involve a testing process that reviews evaluations and job skills and an interview process that asks the employee how she would react in specific situations. Leadership or supervisor training classes would then be provided to educate the new lead on how to respond to supervisory challenges or during emergencies. Although this level of supervisor is not responsible for overall performance of the employees, they can be expected to run the center without supervision and may also be asked to provide input on employee evaluations.
The third level of supervisor comprises those who are forced into the position by default. Usually found on graveyard shifts, this supervisor is in charge based only on their hire date. In this model, the most qualified person to supervise the shift is the one with the most seniority, regardless of their ability to lead others. These people have usually had no training of any kind and are simply there to answer job-related questions and make decisions.
The Default Supervisor
The challenge facing many comm centers is a lack of supervisory preparation for a major incident. It has often been said that supervising dispatchers is like herding cats: If they're going the same direction you are, great; if not, you're in trouble. Established supervisors often have challenges getting those around them to head the direction they want them to, but supervisors who switch back and forth from being a co-worker to being the one in charge often have no chance of leadership - even before a major incident.
There can be two specific challenges for a supervisor during a major event. First, those in charge are often considered to be a working part of the shift, so they're too busy answering 9-1-1 lines or working radios to be able to step back and see the big picture. This leaves the supervisor with the decision that may set the tone of the event: Do they let the 9-1-1 lines ring and coordinate a response to the incident? Or do they continue to answer 9-1-1 lines and hope their co-workers can handle the rest without them? Although most dispatchers have exceptional multi-tasking skills, the reality is that very few have the skills needed to successfully synchronize a major incident while still answering phones or working radios. Expecting them to do so is setting them up for failure.
The second challenge is defining the position the supervisor will fill during a significant event. When running a major incident, the supervisor needs to take the role of coordinator or commander and control the situation by answering questions, providing information and coordinating resources for the call-takers and dispatchers. This can include communicating with sergeants or fire chiefs, advising administrative staff or emergency services personnel, calling in additional staff for overtime or ensuring employees are provided with breaks.
Of course, knowing what the person in charge should be doing and understanding how to do it are two separate things. In their article "Asking the Right Questions About Leadership: Discussions and Conclusions," J. Richard Hackman and Ruth Wageman say, "Leading well, therefore, may require a considerable degree of emotional maturity in dealing with one's own and others' anxieties." This means that not only must the lead or default supervisor understand the needs of the position but they must also have the ability to understand the needs of the people.
A leader is only a leader if they have followers. When a lead dispatcher is promoted on the basis of a testing process but then not provided with any leadership training, or a default supervisor is simply put "in charge," they may find they have no one willing to follow them. Dispatchers are notoriously autonomous and may simply ignore the direction of someone they don't feel is a true leader capable of providing them with direction. Add to that the fact that often the default supervisor is in charge of a low-seniority crew, who may not have the experience to make the correct decisions, and suddenly there's a complete breakdown in communication.
For example, Andrea was promoted to lead dispatcher two years ago but has not been provided with any training in how to supervise. One night, one of her graveyard dispatchers limped into work and told her he had sprained his ankle earlier that day, but he's doing OK because the doctor gave him Vicoden and he took "a couple." She can tell that he's impaired but does not have the confidence in her abilities or position to send him home. She tries to reach her supervisor at home for advice, but he's not answering the phone. She is too unnerved to call the director at home and admit she cannot handle the situation. So she tells the dispatcher to go work on the phones and hopes for the best.
Or take default supervisor Liz, a dispatcher for 23 years. She is not the best dispatcher or the worst, but rather her job skills range in the middle ground on her yearly evaluation. She is considered an adequate dispatcher by her co-workers, but she has no leadership skills. Regardless, based strictly on her seniority, she is in charge every day from 0300 to 0700 with a crew that has fewer than five years of experience. Now add a domestic violence shooting at a local manufacturing plant and a structure fire.
Liz has worked multiple incidents in her career and understands what to do as a dispatcher. She has years of experience knowing what units to send, how to call in SWAT, how to coordinate with her sergeants, how to control her radio traffic. She understands the logistics of dispatching fire, coordinating with the battalion chiefs and rescue and how to call out additional fire resources. The problem is that Liz is now in charge of the center and no one has ever taught her how to lead her dispatchers. Barb, over at police, is undone because the sergeant wants her to page out a sniper, while Samantha at fire can't find the number for public works for road-closed signs, and the phones are ringing off the hook. Liz, as supervisor, decides her best option is to continue to answer 9-1-1 calls and let the dispatchers fend for themselves.
Even worse, think about the typical graveyard crew made up of dispatchers who all, including the default supervisor, have less than four years of experience. When they get a big incident, they are left to decide as a team how they will handle it based on their experience and knowledge. The only problem is that their experience and knowledge have not prepared them for this type of situation.
Comm center directors, managers and supervisors need to take a hard look at the leadership skills of those who are tasked to be the go-to person during a major incident. Does the person in charge have the leadership skills necessary to coordinate the needs of police, fire, citizens and dispatchers? Have they received training in how to lead and how to deal with emergencies from the supervisor's point of view? And most importantly, do those on the frontlines feel they can follow the person who has been left in charge?
Plan Ahead
In all three of the previous scenarios, employees were asked to respond to situations outside their normal field of work and outside their training. This, of course, leads into the problem of negligence. If the comm center manager is lucky, the crew will work together to come up with a solution to the challenge they are facing. This does not imply they will make the correct decision, but rather they will pick the one that sounds best to them. But what happens when the staff, either the acting supervisor or the group, makes the wrong decision? Should they be punished? If so, the employees are in the position of being blamed for not knowing what to do simply because they lacked training. Or should the blame go to the administrator who chose to leave a 9-1-1 center with an inexperienced or untrained supervisor? Either way, it's a no-win situation.
So, how can this situation be prevented? In their article, "Looking for Dr. Jekyll but Hiring Mr. Hyde: Preventing Negligent Hiring, Supervision, Retention, and Training." Kathryn Lewis and Susan Garner state, "Prevention begins by confirming the knowledge and skill levels of new employees and appropriately training them to perform their jobs correctly and safely."
This applies even more for those who are in a supervisory capacity, regardless of the level. First, each shift must have someone in charge, and that person must be minimally qualified and trained, not just assigned by seniority. Administrators must look at each person on the shift and consciously choose who the best leader will be. The employee who has 23 years in dispatch may not be as qualified as the employee who has only been employed for three years, but who served two tours of duty leading soldiers in Iraq.
Second, there must be some kind of vetting process to select a person in charge, even if it's only for a few hours. Many comm centers believe they can "get away" with having seniority supervision for just a few hours each day because nothing has gone wrong in the past. This is dangerous thinking. The same applies for those who say they have no one who is qualified or who could pass an interview for the lead position. Those administrators may want to review the concept of negligence and re-think their strategy.
After the acting watch or lead is selected, they need to have some kind of formal, documented training. An acting watch or lead, although not responsible for the formal duties of a supervisor, still needs guidance on how to react in an emergency situation or what to do with a significant personnel issue. Another benefit: The more training they receive, the better chance they have of being able to count on their co-workers to follow their decisions.
Acting watch or lead training does not have to be intensive supervisory style training. Rather, it's training provided to help the lead determine how to make decisions and where to go for help. Lists of phone numbers for people who are on call for guidance, opportunities to shadow full-time supervisors, even handbooks providing training and guidelines are all cost-effective options.
To successfully lead a crew through a disaster or major incident, the person in charge needs to have an understanding of the needs of the job, the trust of the staff and the ability to make decisions and stand by them. Even senior employees, with their years of job-related experience, may not have the leadership skills to successfully navigate the trials of a disaster. Administrators who take care to select leaders based on more than just time on the job, and then train them appropriately, can go a long way toward increasing the chance of success for everyone involved.
Bridge the Generation Gap: As Millennials Enter the Workforce, Comm Center Managers Must Adapt
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, May 2010
Written by Bob Smith, APCO International's Director of Strategic Development
Read as many public safety publications as I do, and you've probably noticed the amount of attention folks are giving to the "next" generation of public safety professionals. Complaints include: "They're hard to get through to." "They have different agendas than we do." It's one challenge after another. Or is it?
Is it more likely that it's just the same thing those before us said when we were cutting our teeth in the business? The Buddy Holly generation, who said it about the Jimi Hendrix generation, who said it about the Metallica generation, who in turn said it about the Nirvana generation -- an ongoing cycle of trying to deal with the fresh young faces flooding the industry.
So why are we seeing so much attention on the subject now? For starters, this is the first time in history in which four generations are in the workplace at the same time -- not just in public safety, but everywhere. Traditionalists/veterans, baby boomers, generation X and the millennials are all working together. What does this mean to public safety?
Let's start with those labels. The labels and the dates assigned for each generation vary by source and they aren't specific to a month or day, but the most common breakdown is:
Written by Bob Smith, APCO International's Director of Strategic Development
Read as many public safety publications as I do, and you've probably noticed the amount of attention folks are giving to the "next" generation of public safety professionals. Complaints include: "They're hard to get through to." "They have different agendas than we do." It's one challenge after another. Or is it?
Is it more likely that it's just the same thing those before us said when we were cutting our teeth in the business? The Buddy Holly generation, who said it about the Jimi Hendrix generation, who said it about the Metallica generation, who in turn said it about the Nirvana generation -- an ongoing cycle of trying to deal with the fresh young faces flooding the industry.
So why are we seeing so much attention on the subject now? For starters, this is the first time in history in which four generations are in the workplace at the same time -- not just in public safety, but everywhere. Traditionalists/veterans, baby boomers, generation X and the millennials are all working together. What does this mean to public safety?
Let's start with those labels. The labels and the dates assigned for each generation vary by source and they aren't specific to a month or day, but the most common breakdown is:
- Traditionalists or veterans - born during the WWII era;
- Baby boomers - born between WWII and 1965;
- Generation X - born between 1965 and 1979;
- Generation Y or the millennials - born between 1980 and 1999 or the turn of the millennium; and
- Generation Z - born since 1999.
It's hard to avoid talking in generalizations when discussing generation gaps, so keep in mind that every person is unique, and comm center managers must approach employees as individuals.
Although many millennials have just entered the workforce, they will soon become the majority. As a generation, millennials are exceptionally tech-savvy. They are tuned to their own value in the job market, have limited loyalty to a particular employer and tend to insist on working in a stimulating job environment. These qualities can be viewed as liabilities, but let's look at them as opportunities.
As a former comm center director, I know that having an employee who is tech-savvy is always a good thing. Many agencies can't afford dedicated information technology staffs, and having a little technical know-how on staff can be of great assistance and help keep expenses down.
As for the other qualities - being especially turned into their own value in the job market, having limited loyalty to any particular employer and insisting on a stimulating job environment - all of these will ultimately benefit an entire agency. As employers consistently strive to meet these needs, they'll improve morale and create a positive work environment, thus improving their agencies overall. All of this can lead to higher recruitment and retention rates as employees start seeing more about an agency to appreciate (e.g., challenging work, adequate compensation and sufficient recognition for a job well done).
A bit more information about this up-and-coming workforce: They have a greater requirement for accountability and performance measurement. This means they'll give 100% effort 100% of the time if needed, but in return they'll require proportionate recognition. Exceptional work will require exceptional recognition - a reward that is more than a paycheck and on the same level as their performance.
This requires agencies to implement and maintain a formal employee recognition program. It can be as simple as thank you notes, gift cards or paid days off. However, it has to occur more often than once a year during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. It has to be an ongoing part of agency operations. Reward employees once a year, and you'll get exceptional performance once a year. Reward and recognize them regularly all year long, and you'll get exceptional performance all year long.
Goals and objections will also need to be clear, and there must be an established benchmark for success. This will require a formalized employee performance evaluation program and well-maintained policies and procedures that are reviewed and updated regularly. An agency should be doing this anyway.
These are just a few examples of qualities and characteristics of the next generation of public safety communications professionals. Not all are challenges or obstacles that need to be overcome. In fact, in most cases if an agency prepares itself to meet the needs of this new workforce, it will ultimately improve overall operations and increase performance levels and morale for all generations on their staff.
The bottom line: Bridging the gap between senior leadership and a younger generation of employees is a task that must be faced now. As technology and the workforce of tomorrow grows and evolves, today's public safety leadership must use this diversity for the benefit of their agency and the communities they serve.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Three and Me
Author Unknown
I am the Police Officer, follow me,
Preserving the peace is where I'll be.
I am the torch that lights the way,
In darkness my courage will never sway.
Leading the others, that is me.
I am the Police Officer, guiding the three.
I am the Firefighter, follow me,
Into the flames is where I'll be.
I am the one who battles the beast,
To protect that on which it would feast.
Lending strength to the others, that is me.
I am the Firefighter, supporting the three.
I am the Medic, follow me,
Easing the pain is where I'll be.
I am the one who helps them survive,
Lifting the fallen to keep them alive.
Treating the others, that is me.
I am the Medic, healing the three.
I am the Dispatcher, don't follow me,
Agony and chaos is where I'll be.
Working in obscurity, this forgotten place,
Not death but insanity is the danger I face.
Answering the call, that is me.
I am the Dispatcher, protecting the three.
I am the Police Officer, follow me,
Preserving the peace is where I'll be.
I am the torch that lights the way,
In darkness my courage will never sway.
Leading the others, that is me.
I am the Police Officer, guiding the three.
I am the Firefighter, follow me,
Into the flames is where I'll be.
I am the one who battles the beast,
To protect that on which it would feast.
Lending strength to the others, that is me.
I am the Firefighter, supporting the three.
I am the Medic, follow me,
Easing the pain is where I'll be.
I am the one who helps them survive,
Lifting the fallen to keep them alive.
Treating the others, that is me.
I am the Medic, healing the three.
I am the Dispatcher, don't follow me,
Agony and chaos is where I'll be.
Working in obscurity, this forgotten place,
Not death but insanity is the danger I face.
Answering the call, that is me.
I am the Dispatcher, protecting the three.
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