Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, April 2014, Part 3 or a 7-Part Series
Written by Angie Stiefermann, employed with the Jefferson City Police Department for 21 years as a CTO and for the last eight years as a telecommunications supervisor and instructor as well. As a member of a department that encourages continuing education, Stiefermann feels a responsibility to do her part in educating others through affordable or free training with the APCO training partnership.
As a 9-1-1 calltaker, there are some unique situations that you may have never considered, or perhaps you have considered but dread the day that you might be faced with handling them. This series aims to simplify several unique emergencies to aid you in becoming more proficient, and perhaps less intimidated, when handling those emergencies as a 9-1-1 calltaker. In previous issues, we've discussed handling callers who have been locked in the trunk of a car, as well as callers operating a vehicle with a stuck accelerator or failing brakes. In the future we'll examine what to ask of a passenger in a downed or troubled aircraft, a victim of a home invasion in progress, or a caller who is trapped in a house fire. In this installment, I'm going to focus on handling a caller trapped in a submerged vehicle.
KEEP CALM & GET OUT
In the article, "Help, My Car is Sinking" in the Oct. 2011 issue of Public Safety Communications, expert diver Robert May suggested that many escape recommendations for this situation are ineffective. Even Mythbusters, a television show devised to test the validity of long-existing theories, tested various notions about escaping from a sinking vehicle, not all of which were successful. Below are the best steps to follow when aiding a caller in a submerged vehicle.
First, as with any emergency, the caller should be directed to remain calm so that you can help them -- their car may float for up to 2-10 minutes, according to May. While their location should be obtained as quickly as possible, May suggests that time might be wasted trying to gather location information rather than leading them to safety immediately. The caller may be confused or unaware of their location, so when triaging the call, an operator must weigh the severity and determine if time is better spent getting a location or guiding the caller to safety. If the location is known, send rescue units immediately. If the caller does not know their location because they are disoriented after running off the roadway, or from other contributing factors such as intoxication or a medical emergency, obtain the last road they recall traveling on, where they left from and where they were headed to.
Tell the caller to place the phone, leaving the line open, in a pocket or bra while following your instructions. The occupant and any passengers should then be encouraged to release their seatbelts; children should be release from their restraints and helped into the front seat. Keeping the window closed during this time should slow the rate of water entering the vehicle until all parties are successfully out of their seatbelts. If time allows, the operator should try to determine how deep the water is and how fast the water is entering the vehicle to help determine how much risk they are in. The goal now is for them to exit out of the window and climb on top of their vehicle.
Electric windows may still work as long as the battery has power. The sooner they can get a window down, the better. If a window will not open, encourage the caller to break the glass. The best way to do so is by punching the window or using a glass-breaking tool. Most people will not have this specific tool on hand, so direct them to find a strong pointed object, such as a key, seatbelt buckle, posts on a headrest, rearview mirror handle, etc. At this point, they should try everything possible.
The tool should be punched into the corner of the glass, and the caller should push into the glass with their shoulder as they punch. It is difficult, if not impossible, for an occupant to open their door once it is mostly submerged due to the outside pressure of the water against the door. Occupants are only encouraged to try to open the door as a last resort, for this will flood the car quickly, causing it to tip and potentially trap the occupants.
ONCE OUT OF THE VEHICLE
If the vehicle has stopped sinking, indicating the water is shallow, the caller may be able to wade or swim to land. In cases where the vehicle is in moving water, victims should stay on top of the vehicle and hold on tightly until it comes to a stop. If the water is deep and the vehicle sinks quickly, the caller will be forced to swim. They should be encouraged to remove any heavy clothing that could drag them down in the swift water. Clothing such as jeans can also become a flotation device if they knot the legs and grasp at the waist. According to May, this method is taught in many water safety courses. For callers forced to swim, he recommends that they travel with the current and angle toward the shore.
In cases where a vehicle crashes through ice, occupants should follow the same procedure; however, if forced to jump, they should land flat and roll to the bank to avoid breaking through the ice. If the vehicle hasn't initially broken through the ice, it likely will soon.
If not all of the vehicle's occupants are ambulatory, the most agile should escape out of the window first and then assist others in crawling through the window. A hysterical caller may be inclined to fight the waters and should be reminded that the option remains for them to float if forced to enter the water.
WHEN A WITNESS CALLS
First, quickly obtain a location and dispatch rescue units. Ask the caller if they are able to communicate with the victim(s). Encourage them to have the occupants roll down their windows, climb out and get on top of the car.
If the caller asks if they should attempt a rescue, warn them that they must be an excellent swimmer to do so. If they wish to attempt a rescue, encourage them to take a tool to break the window if it isn't already open. Submerged windows are more difficult to break -- if one of the vehicle's windows remains above water, they may wish to try that window first.
In the case of a submerged vehicle, time is of the essence, as is keeping a level head. Encouraging your callers to remain calm and follow teh steps outlined here will allow them to make the most of the moments that could save lives. As a 9-1-1 calltaker, it pays to address worst-case scenarios of this kind in order to provide callers with the best chance of survival.
9-1-1
9-1-1; What Is Your Emergency?
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Supervisory Negligence: Seven Forms of Deliberate Indifference & How to Avoid Them
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, April 2014
Written by Kyle Bradshaw, 29 year veteran of public safety and chief of DeKalb County (GA) Fire Investigations and Internal Affairs. He is an adjunct instructor for the department of health, public safety and security at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and has served as a communications officer, police officer, firefighter, EMT, certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI), and computer voice stress analyst (CVSA).
Last month, I introduced a topic that is rarely discussed in comm centers: the need for internal affairs. The purpose of the unit is to protect the public, the agency and the employees, and its duty is to set ethical standards for the organization. This month, I will address issues concerning supervisory negligence, which are best investigated by an internal affairs unit.
Think back to the days when you were sitting in your basic communications certification class. Do you remember that one subject that bored you to tears? Let me guess: legal liability. I teach basic communication officers training classes throughout the country, and during this particular lesson I notice many students get that glazed look in their eyes, specifically when the discussion is about negligence. Negligence is a tort, or a civil wrong, under common law. There are four components of negligence: 1) duty; 2) breach of duty; 3) proximate causation; and 4) damages. Let's take a closer look at each of these.
When a citizen dials 9-1-1, it is the duty of the PSAP to have a representative answer and provide assistance. If you fail to provide this service, you have breached this duty to act. This failure will be judged by the "reasonable man" doctrine. In other words, what would a reasonable person in the same position, performing the same duties, under the same conditions do? An example of breach of duty is not performing the policies and procedures of your agency, directly causing or worsening the citizen's injury due to your actions or inactions. The resulting damages sustained can be financial, or the inability to function at a certain level.
Supervisors are also subject to issues of negligence. Beyond the everyday actions or inactions by subordinates, supervisors face unique challenges. Supervisory negligence is defined by U.S. Legal as "deliberate indifference," or "the conscious or reckless disregard of the consequences of one's acts or omissions." All too often in administrative interviews, I see supervisors plead their case for how they acted on a perceived egregious act of a subordinate. Yet when I read them the operating guidelines detailing the supervisory actions the situation called for, the truth becomes apparent and they realize their own failure to act. Negligent supervision applies to supervision of employees. There are seven common supervisory negligence issues departments face.
FAILURE TO TRAIN
All employees must be trained to perform their jobs correctly and adequately. Your department is charged with ensuring that this happens. Depending on the size of your agency, training takes place either at a state facility, in a class hosted by multiple partner agencies, through private organizations or in an internal training department. Basic training classes have certain mandates depending on statutory regulations and can be offered through either public or private vendors. But does your agency offer continuing education?
Failure to train results in inadequacies in job performance. Training should be job-relevant; instructors must be qualified; records must be maintained for audit; curriculum must be up-to-date and correct; and learning must be measured. If the student performs inadequately, the supervisor must follow-up with additional training or some corrective action.
FAILURE TO DIRECT
Failing to adequately direct telecommunicators with clear guidance as to how to perform their duties, through direct supervision or clear and concise policies and procedures, constitutes a failure to direct. This includes the absence of agency policies and procedures, or merely having employees sign off on policies even when they don't understand them. Well-written policies and procedures allow employees to understand how to perform their duties, give supervisors the ability to manage and achieve organizational goals, and enable the department to achieve its mission. Policies must be accurate, address necessary aspects of the job, and be updated with legal aspects that address current standards. Employees must read and understand these policies, and documented notification can assist with employee accountability and audits. To ensure employee understanding, written examinations may also be administered.
You may think it's a relief if your agency does not have certain policies and procedures, but the mere absence of such constitutes an official policy. Training officers may also pass on certain behaviors to their trainees because "that's the way we've always done it," and those behaviors become part of an agency's unofficial policy, even if it does not necessarily conform to current standards. This unofficial policy will be the standard to which you and your agency will be held accountable.
NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT
Negligent entrustment can be a combination of failure to train and failure to supervise. When employees operate comm center equipment, we entrust them to perform these tasks correctly within policies, mandates and statutes. If the operator does not know how to properly utilize the equipment, then the supervisor or department will be deemed negligent.
For example, a new hire may have up to six months to attend a basic communications certification course under statutory law, and during the first few months that trainee works alongside a veteran employee. Up to this point the trainee has done well, mimicking the role of the trainer, but then the trainer leaves the trainee alone just for a second. What could happen? The trainee answers an incoming call and it's a medical emergency. The trainee has never sat for the basic certification class, much less an advanced calltaking class such as EMD. The trainee, in good faith, attempts to give medical advice to the caller, only to worsen the situation. When the trainer left the trainee alone, this constituted deliberate indifference, resulting in a failure to supervise and negligently entrusting the trainee with departmental equipment.
NEGLIGENT ASSIGNMENT
Public safety agencies can get into trouble by assigning people to positions that they are not qualified to fill. The 9-1-1 field has low retention rates, leaving many open positions to fill. Many departments have mandatory overtime built into the normal work schedule because they do not have enough staff to fill the needed shifts. Overworked, under-paid and under-staffed are all common complaints in the industry; skilled employees are in high demand.
Depending on the retention rate of your department, you might see an employee promoted to a supervisory position simply because they were the only one left with any amount of seniority. Seniority and qualifications, however, are two very different things. An example might be a senior operator assigned to a training position, despite having never attended a train-the-trainer, method of instruction, or instructor trainer course. These courses are crucial for a trainer to understand the principles of adult education, classroom behavior, the fundamentals of a lesson plan and how comprehensive and cognitive behavior are measured. It's incumbent upon the director, supervisors and supervisory training staff to determine if this person actually understands the job well enough to train someone else. If so, then they still need training to understand how to effectively deliver this knowledge to a new hire.
FAILURE TO DISCIPLINE
This should be self-explanatory; if an employee does something wrong, then you discipline. But this is always easier said than done. My experience in internal affairs has shown that supervisors can have great difficulty disciplining employees. One factor is if they do not feel supported by the chain of command. Many employees, if disciplined, want to file some form of complaint that they are being harassed by their supervisor. For the most part, however, this is not the case.
We all make mistakes -- subordinates and supervisors alike. Instead of disciplining an action or inaction, we can look at the overall goal of what we are striving to achieve: correcting improper behavior. The actions or inactions of employees constitute a behavior. When the action of the employee is not in accordance with a policy, procedure, mandate or law, the department's goal is to correct the action and change the behavior. An employee's role is to carry out tasks, which they are trained and certified to do, ensuring the department's mission and goals are being accomplished. The role of the supervisor is to engage and lead their staff, ensure that tasks are completed correctly and manage the department's mission.
If employees follow a well-written set of policies and are completely trained to perform their job, then they should not fear being disciplined. If the department has a strong set of policies, then managers should not fear using them to correct behavior. The department should use corrective action progressively and fairly. Looking the other way or treating one individual harsher than others will have negative consequences for the supervisor.
FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE
As I stated last month, it is the job of the internal affairs office to ensure policies and procedures are adhered to through administrative investigaions. This ensures that ethical behavior is accomplished for the department by its employees. If your department does not have an internal affairs unit, there must be something else in place to investigate allegations of employee misconduct. In addition, the department must have a system for citizens to voice complaints and for employees to have a grievance process.
NEGLIGENT RETENTION
Have you ever observed a rogue employee who should have been fired long ago and wondered how the agency could have allowed that to happen? The preceding failures can become mountains that make it very difficult for a supervisor or the department to alleviate itself of a problem employee, begetting the cliche: "We bought it, we own it."
A supervisor is charged to investigate allegations of misconduct. If they do not do so, it is deliberate indifference. If there is a violation of policy discovered through the investigation, then intervention must take place with employee-corrective action. Progressive corrective action should begin with written counseling, and then proceed to suspension, demotion and termination. Some acts, such as wanton disregard of policy, require immediate termination.
SUMMARY
When we fail to train, direct, discipline or investigate, or negligently entrust, assign, or retain, it creates deliberate indifference, causing supervisory negligence. As a supervisor, you have a duty to the organization, your subordinates, and the citizens you serve, to ethically adhere to the policies and procedures of your organization, mandates and statutes. As an employee, you have the same duty to perform the tasks in which you have been trained and entrusted to do. Not everything can be avoided, but certain situations can be minimized or defended. Armed with a well-written set of current legal policies, a well-trained staff that is qualified to manage and lead, records that can be audited and proven to meet standards, and an investigatory unit to address allegations of employee misconduct and lead to successful corrective action, your organization will be better equipped to set the example of excellence.
Written by Kyle Bradshaw, 29 year veteran of public safety and chief of DeKalb County (GA) Fire Investigations and Internal Affairs. He is an adjunct instructor for the department of health, public safety and security at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and has served as a communications officer, police officer, firefighter, EMT, certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI), and computer voice stress analyst (CVSA).
Last month, I introduced a topic that is rarely discussed in comm centers: the need for internal affairs. The purpose of the unit is to protect the public, the agency and the employees, and its duty is to set ethical standards for the organization. This month, I will address issues concerning supervisory negligence, which are best investigated by an internal affairs unit.
Think back to the days when you were sitting in your basic communications certification class. Do you remember that one subject that bored you to tears? Let me guess: legal liability. I teach basic communication officers training classes throughout the country, and during this particular lesson I notice many students get that glazed look in their eyes, specifically when the discussion is about negligence. Negligence is a tort, or a civil wrong, under common law. There are four components of negligence: 1) duty; 2) breach of duty; 3) proximate causation; and 4) damages. Let's take a closer look at each of these.
When a citizen dials 9-1-1, it is the duty of the PSAP to have a representative answer and provide assistance. If you fail to provide this service, you have breached this duty to act. This failure will be judged by the "reasonable man" doctrine. In other words, what would a reasonable person in the same position, performing the same duties, under the same conditions do? An example of breach of duty is not performing the policies and procedures of your agency, directly causing or worsening the citizen's injury due to your actions or inactions. The resulting damages sustained can be financial, or the inability to function at a certain level.
Supervisors are also subject to issues of negligence. Beyond the everyday actions or inactions by subordinates, supervisors face unique challenges. Supervisory negligence is defined by U.S. Legal as "deliberate indifference," or "the conscious or reckless disregard of the consequences of one's acts or omissions." All too often in administrative interviews, I see supervisors plead their case for how they acted on a perceived egregious act of a subordinate. Yet when I read them the operating guidelines detailing the supervisory actions the situation called for, the truth becomes apparent and they realize their own failure to act. Negligent supervision applies to supervision of employees. There are seven common supervisory negligence issues departments face.
FAILURE TO TRAIN
All employees must be trained to perform their jobs correctly and adequately. Your department is charged with ensuring that this happens. Depending on the size of your agency, training takes place either at a state facility, in a class hosted by multiple partner agencies, through private organizations or in an internal training department. Basic training classes have certain mandates depending on statutory regulations and can be offered through either public or private vendors. But does your agency offer continuing education?
Failure to train results in inadequacies in job performance. Training should be job-relevant; instructors must be qualified; records must be maintained for audit; curriculum must be up-to-date and correct; and learning must be measured. If the student performs inadequately, the supervisor must follow-up with additional training or some corrective action.
FAILURE TO DIRECT
Failing to adequately direct telecommunicators with clear guidance as to how to perform their duties, through direct supervision or clear and concise policies and procedures, constitutes a failure to direct. This includes the absence of agency policies and procedures, or merely having employees sign off on policies even when they don't understand them. Well-written policies and procedures allow employees to understand how to perform their duties, give supervisors the ability to manage and achieve organizational goals, and enable the department to achieve its mission. Policies must be accurate, address necessary aspects of the job, and be updated with legal aspects that address current standards. Employees must read and understand these policies, and documented notification can assist with employee accountability and audits. To ensure employee understanding, written examinations may also be administered.
You may think it's a relief if your agency does not have certain policies and procedures, but the mere absence of such constitutes an official policy. Training officers may also pass on certain behaviors to their trainees because "that's the way we've always done it," and those behaviors become part of an agency's unofficial policy, even if it does not necessarily conform to current standards. This unofficial policy will be the standard to which you and your agency will be held accountable.
NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT
Negligent entrustment can be a combination of failure to train and failure to supervise. When employees operate comm center equipment, we entrust them to perform these tasks correctly within policies, mandates and statutes. If the operator does not know how to properly utilize the equipment, then the supervisor or department will be deemed negligent.
For example, a new hire may have up to six months to attend a basic communications certification course under statutory law, and during the first few months that trainee works alongside a veteran employee. Up to this point the trainee has done well, mimicking the role of the trainer, but then the trainer leaves the trainee alone just for a second. What could happen? The trainee answers an incoming call and it's a medical emergency. The trainee has never sat for the basic certification class, much less an advanced calltaking class such as EMD. The trainee, in good faith, attempts to give medical advice to the caller, only to worsen the situation. When the trainer left the trainee alone, this constituted deliberate indifference, resulting in a failure to supervise and negligently entrusting the trainee with departmental equipment.
NEGLIGENT ASSIGNMENT
Public safety agencies can get into trouble by assigning people to positions that they are not qualified to fill. The 9-1-1 field has low retention rates, leaving many open positions to fill. Many departments have mandatory overtime built into the normal work schedule because they do not have enough staff to fill the needed shifts. Overworked, under-paid and under-staffed are all common complaints in the industry; skilled employees are in high demand.
Depending on the retention rate of your department, you might see an employee promoted to a supervisory position simply because they were the only one left with any amount of seniority. Seniority and qualifications, however, are two very different things. An example might be a senior operator assigned to a training position, despite having never attended a train-the-trainer, method of instruction, or instructor trainer course. These courses are crucial for a trainer to understand the principles of adult education, classroom behavior, the fundamentals of a lesson plan and how comprehensive and cognitive behavior are measured. It's incumbent upon the director, supervisors and supervisory training staff to determine if this person actually understands the job well enough to train someone else. If so, then they still need training to understand how to effectively deliver this knowledge to a new hire.
FAILURE TO DISCIPLINE
This should be self-explanatory; if an employee does something wrong, then you discipline. But this is always easier said than done. My experience in internal affairs has shown that supervisors can have great difficulty disciplining employees. One factor is if they do not feel supported by the chain of command. Many employees, if disciplined, want to file some form of complaint that they are being harassed by their supervisor. For the most part, however, this is not the case.
We all make mistakes -- subordinates and supervisors alike. Instead of disciplining an action or inaction, we can look at the overall goal of what we are striving to achieve: correcting improper behavior. The actions or inactions of employees constitute a behavior. When the action of the employee is not in accordance with a policy, procedure, mandate or law, the department's goal is to correct the action and change the behavior. An employee's role is to carry out tasks, which they are trained and certified to do, ensuring the department's mission and goals are being accomplished. The role of the supervisor is to engage and lead their staff, ensure that tasks are completed correctly and manage the department's mission.
If employees follow a well-written set of policies and are completely trained to perform their job, then they should not fear being disciplined. If the department has a strong set of policies, then managers should not fear using them to correct behavior. The department should use corrective action progressively and fairly. Looking the other way or treating one individual harsher than others will have negative consequences for the supervisor.
FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE
As I stated last month, it is the job of the internal affairs office to ensure policies and procedures are adhered to through administrative investigaions. This ensures that ethical behavior is accomplished for the department by its employees. If your department does not have an internal affairs unit, there must be something else in place to investigate allegations of employee misconduct. In addition, the department must have a system for citizens to voice complaints and for employees to have a grievance process.
NEGLIGENT RETENTION
Have you ever observed a rogue employee who should have been fired long ago and wondered how the agency could have allowed that to happen? The preceding failures can become mountains that make it very difficult for a supervisor or the department to alleviate itself of a problem employee, begetting the cliche: "We bought it, we own it."
A supervisor is charged to investigate allegations of misconduct. If they do not do so, it is deliberate indifference. If there is a violation of policy discovered through the investigation, then intervention must take place with employee-corrective action. Progressive corrective action should begin with written counseling, and then proceed to suspension, demotion and termination. Some acts, such as wanton disregard of policy, require immediate termination.
SUMMARY
When we fail to train, direct, discipline or investigate, or negligently entrust, assign, or retain, it creates deliberate indifference, causing supervisory negligence. As a supervisor, you have a duty to the organization, your subordinates, and the citizens you serve, to ethically adhere to the policies and procedures of your organization, mandates and statutes. As an employee, you have the same duty to perform the tasks in which you have been trained and entrusted to do. Not everything can be avoided, but certain situations can be minimized or defended. Armed with a well-written set of current legal policies, a well-trained staff that is qualified to manage and lead, records that can be audited and proven to meet standards, and an investigatory unit to address allegations of employee misconduct and lead to successful corrective action, your organization will be better equipped to set the example of excellence.
Risk Management: Expert Advice on Identifying & Preventing Risk in the PSAP
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, March 2014
Written by Craig Scholl, RPL, a senior emergency communicator at Clinton County (NY) Emergency Services, member of APCOs Editorial Advisory Committee and past president of the Atlantic Chapter. Gordon Graham and Tom Catino also contributed to this article. Coupled with his extensive background in law enforcement, Gordon Graham's education as a risk manager and experience as a practicing attorney have allowed him to become recognized as a leading professional speaker in both private and public sector organizations.
The importance of risk management is such that I'm asking you not to read this article unless you promise to share it with at least one other person - whether they're a coworker, supervisor or manager.
Every profession has a certain level of risk associated with it, but the nature of our work in public safety communications leaves us and our employers especially vulnerable to legal liability. A mishandled call for help can mean the difference between life and death, so it's critical that telecommunicators remain diligent and always follow the procedures laid out in agency policies and official documents. Taking personal responsibility for managing risk and protecting both the public and the agency is the first step to a secure and satisfying career in public safety.
MORE THAN 'JUST A DISPATCHER'
I spent the early part of my career listening to various managers refer to my colleagues and I as "the dispatchers." This mindset was prevalent in the early to mid-1980's, but thankfully not so much anymore. I often wondered how someone could think in this way -- I was expected to keep first responders safe and informed, represent my agency in a professional manner when someone called for assistance, and protect members of the public when they were faced with an emergency, not to mention all the other duties assigned on a day-to-day basis. I was so much more than just a dispatcher and I knew that I made a difference.
The first time I heard the term "risk management" was early in my career when I took the basic course for public safety telecommunicators from the APCO Institute. As telecommunicators, avoiding risk is instilled in us as an inherent part of our jobs. We participate in risk management activities on a daily basis, often without even realizing it. In most cases, risk management strategies are hidden in the policies and procedures we follow on a daily basis.
One of the best resources for developing these policies is the staff who will ultimately be responsible for abiding by the directive. As telecommunicators, we use policy and procedures on a daily basis. These are living documents that are changed when needed. We may assume that these policies exist simply because it's what the boss wants us to do, but in fact they are generally documentation of lessons learned. They were developed (perhaps even with our own input) and then evolved through trial and tribulation before being enacted by our agency. This is what we do in our field; we learn from each other and make changes based on what we learn in order to improve our operations.
TIPS FROM A PRO
In August 2003, on the eve of the APCO International Conference & Expo in Anaheim, Calif., APCO's executive council met for two days of business sessions. The first day included a presentation by Gordon Graham, founder of risk management service provider Lexipol and a 33-year veteran of California law enforcement. Graham's work in risk management spans many different disciplines, and his extensive experience make him a valuable resource for PSAP managers, supervisors and dispatch staff.
Lexipol's aim is to standardize policy, procedure and training in public safety operations. Most law enforcement agencies in California currently use the Lexipol Knowledge Management System, and many other states also use this approach to their law enforcement operations. The system has greatly improved the safety of police personnel and influenced a dramatic reduction in claims, settlements and verdicts against law enforcement agencies.
In Anaheim, Graham presented a number of his rules for risk management, which I've received his permission to share with you here. Much of his strategy is centered on personnel. Agencies must strive for continuous improvement in staff members, and continuous training, recertification and education are pillars of a strong risk management policy. In the same vein, organizations must start by hiring quality people. "If you hire stupid people, they are not going to get better over time," Graham says. This is especially true for supervisors, who are responsible for spotting problems -- whether procedural or personnel issues -- before they become tragedies.
A sound risk management strategy is one in which the agency and all of its members have a healthy respect for the dangers and risks they face. Personnel must be willing and able to learn from their mistakes, and the organization must establish performance metrics by which to hold individuals accountable. As Graham says, "Rules without enforcement are just nice words."
Many of us in the public safety communications field share a common concern for the quality of our profession, and we often feel that the public deserves better. We must improve the quality of the way we do business. We need to constantly strive for improvement and deliver the public better than minimum standards. We need to up our game, especially in light of national trends in video and audio recording and public records access. What we learned from Graham's presentation in Anaheim is that we need to do more than get things done, we need to do them right.
RISKY BUSINESS
We're all familiar with the fire service's Everyone Goes Home initiative, which is aimed at reducing the number of line of duty death calls. The law enforcement community has a similar program called Below 100, which strives to reduce the number of line of duty deaths to less than 100 per year, a number not seen since 1944. What about us in the communications field? What can we do to assist in these endeavors?
Identifying risk is the first step in the proactive risk management process and provides the opportunities, indicators and information necessary for an agency to identify problem areas before they adversely affect operations and staff. In our high-risk jobs, complacency is the biggest culprit of human error. Dispatchers and calltakers must not get overly confident in their jobs, think that they know and have seen everything, or fall into the "it won't happen to me" way of thinking.
I asked Graham what his advice would be to telecommunicators, and he shared that whether you are fresh on the job or have several years under your belt, his advice remains the same: "Never get complacent." Graham comes from an extensive career in public safety, so he knows all too well the calls we handle on a daily basis: "Hey, is it raining outside?" "Was that an earthquake?" "Did the Dodgers win tonight?" Of course we get fed up with these calls, but never forget that the next time that phone rings or the radio crackles, it could be a life-changing event -- a baby choking or an officer who needs help. You have one opportunity to make a difference, so answer that call with a clean slate and without assumptions.
There are other factors that contribute to errors and situations in which the telecommunicator places themself and their agency in jeopardy. Fatigue is a big risk factor. How many of us are working excessive hours or suffer from lack of sleep? Staying alert is a dispatcher's imperative. I'm also a firm believer that cellphones, tablets and other personal devices have no business being in the PSAP. It only takes a few seconds of distraction to have a serious impact on our citizens, ourselves or our agencies.
Evaluating risk is the responsibility of not only supervisors and upper management, but of the dispatchers and calltakers as well. Whatever your title is, you make a difference. On a daily basis, you are the frontline of communication with the public and first responders, so remember Graham's mantra: "Predictable is preventable."
Written by Craig Scholl, RPL, a senior emergency communicator at Clinton County (NY) Emergency Services, member of APCOs Editorial Advisory Committee and past president of the Atlantic Chapter. Gordon Graham and Tom Catino also contributed to this article. Coupled with his extensive background in law enforcement, Gordon Graham's education as a risk manager and experience as a practicing attorney have allowed him to become recognized as a leading professional speaker in both private and public sector organizations.
The importance of risk management is such that I'm asking you not to read this article unless you promise to share it with at least one other person - whether they're a coworker, supervisor or manager.
Every profession has a certain level of risk associated with it, but the nature of our work in public safety communications leaves us and our employers especially vulnerable to legal liability. A mishandled call for help can mean the difference between life and death, so it's critical that telecommunicators remain diligent and always follow the procedures laid out in agency policies and official documents. Taking personal responsibility for managing risk and protecting both the public and the agency is the first step to a secure and satisfying career in public safety.
MORE THAN 'JUST A DISPATCHER'
I spent the early part of my career listening to various managers refer to my colleagues and I as "the dispatchers." This mindset was prevalent in the early to mid-1980's, but thankfully not so much anymore. I often wondered how someone could think in this way -- I was expected to keep first responders safe and informed, represent my agency in a professional manner when someone called for assistance, and protect members of the public when they were faced with an emergency, not to mention all the other duties assigned on a day-to-day basis. I was so much more than just a dispatcher and I knew that I made a difference.
The first time I heard the term "risk management" was early in my career when I took the basic course for public safety telecommunicators from the APCO Institute. As telecommunicators, avoiding risk is instilled in us as an inherent part of our jobs. We participate in risk management activities on a daily basis, often without even realizing it. In most cases, risk management strategies are hidden in the policies and procedures we follow on a daily basis.
One of the best resources for developing these policies is the staff who will ultimately be responsible for abiding by the directive. As telecommunicators, we use policy and procedures on a daily basis. These are living documents that are changed when needed. We may assume that these policies exist simply because it's what the boss wants us to do, but in fact they are generally documentation of lessons learned. They were developed (perhaps even with our own input) and then evolved through trial and tribulation before being enacted by our agency. This is what we do in our field; we learn from each other and make changes based on what we learn in order to improve our operations.
TIPS FROM A PRO
In August 2003, on the eve of the APCO International Conference & Expo in Anaheim, Calif., APCO's executive council met for two days of business sessions. The first day included a presentation by Gordon Graham, founder of risk management service provider Lexipol and a 33-year veteran of California law enforcement. Graham's work in risk management spans many different disciplines, and his extensive experience make him a valuable resource for PSAP managers, supervisors and dispatch staff.
Lexipol's aim is to standardize policy, procedure and training in public safety operations. Most law enforcement agencies in California currently use the Lexipol Knowledge Management System, and many other states also use this approach to their law enforcement operations. The system has greatly improved the safety of police personnel and influenced a dramatic reduction in claims, settlements and verdicts against law enforcement agencies.
In Anaheim, Graham presented a number of his rules for risk management, which I've received his permission to share with you here. Much of his strategy is centered on personnel. Agencies must strive for continuous improvement in staff members, and continuous training, recertification and education are pillars of a strong risk management policy. In the same vein, organizations must start by hiring quality people. "If you hire stupid people, they are not going to get better over time," Graham says. This is especially true for supervisors, who are responsible for spotting problems -- whether procedural or personnel issues -- before they become tragedies.
A sound risk management strategy is one in which the agency and all of its members have a healthy respect for the dangers and risks they face. Personnel must be willing and able to learn from their mistakes, and the organization must establish performance metrics by which to hold individuals accountable. As Graham says, "Rules without enforcement are just nice words."
Many of us in the public safety communications field share a common concern for the quality of our profession, and we often feel that the public deserves better. We must improve the quality of the way we do business. We need to constantly strive for improvement and deliver the public better than minimum standards. We need to up our game, especially in light of national trends in video and audio recording and public records access. What we learned from Graham's presentation in Anaheim is that we need to do more than get things done, we need to do them right.
RISKY BUSINESS
We're all familiar with the fire service's Everyone Goes Home initiative, which is aimed at reducing the number of line of duty death calls. The law enforcement community has a similar program called Below 100, which strives to reduce the number of line of duty deaths to less than 100 per year, a number not seen since 1944. What about us in the communications field? What can we do to assist in these endeavors?
Identifying risk is the first step in the proactive risk management process and provides the opportunities, indicators and information necessary for an agency to identify problem areas before they adversely affect operations and staff. In our high-risk jobs, complacency is the biggest culprit of human error. Dispatchers and calltakers must not get overly confident in their jobs, think that they know and have seen everything, or fall into the "it won't happen to me" way of thinking.
I asked Graham what his advice would be to telecommunicators, and he shared that whether you are fresh on the job or have several years under your belt, his advice remains the same: "Never get complacent." Graham comes from an extensive career in public safety, so he knows all too well the calls we handle on a daily basis: "Hey, is it raining outside?" "Was that an earthquake?" "Did the Dodgers win tonight?" Of course we get fed up with these calls, but never forget that the next time that phone rings or the radio crackles, it could be a life-changing event -- a baby choking or an officer who needs help. You have one opportunity to make a difference, so answer that call with a clean slate and without assumptions.
There are other factors that contribute to errors and situations in which the telecommunicator places themself and their agency in jeopardy. Fatigue is a big risk factor. How many of us are working excessive hours or suffer from lack of sleep? Staying alert is a dispatcher's imperative. I'm also a firm believer that cellphones, tablets and other personal devices have no business being in the PSAP. It only takes a few seconds of distraction to have a serious impact on our citizens, ourselves or our agencies.
Evaluating risk is the responsibility of not only supervisors and upper management, but of the dispatchers and calltakers as well. Whatever your title is, you make a difference. On a daily basis, you are the frontline of communication with the public and first responders, so remember Graham's mantra: "Predictable is preventable."
Worst Case Scenario: Can't Stop! What to Tell a Caller with a Stuck Accelerator
Taken from Public Safety Communications Magazine, March 2014, Part 2 of a 7-Part Series
Written by Angie Stiefermann, employed with the Jefferson City Police Department for 21 years as a CTO and for the last eight years as a telecommunications supervisor and instructor. As a member of a department that encourages continuing education, Stiefermann feels a responsibility to do her part in educating others through affordable or free training with the APCO training partnership.
As a 9-1-1 calltaker, there are days when you find yourself saying, "Every day is something new," while other days leave you feeling, "I've heard it all." There are definitely days that bring nothing new to the table, but occasionally even a seasoned calltaker is taken aback by a situation they've never experienced before or a routine call that takes an unexpected turn.
Last month's article focused on the unexpected call you could receive from someone who is locked in the trunk of a car. This month I am going to examine how you can help someone who is operating a vehicle with a stuck accelerator or failed brakes.
QUICK DECISIONS
A situation in which a motorist experiences a stuck accelerator pedal is rare, and receiving calls from a victim in this situation is even more rare. This issue gained national attention following the massive Toyota recall in 2009 due to issues with stuck accelerator pedals, and the death of off-duty California state trooper Mark Saylor and three family members the same year due to a stuck accelerator. Though you may never be faced with this scenario during your career, it's advantageous to be prepared to deal with it just in case it does. What you tell a caller could save a life.
As with all emergencies, the caller's location should be ascertained and emergency services sent. However, the operator should not become so focused on the location that they don't give the caller some tools to aid them in slowing the vehicle immediately. Depending upon speed, roadway, time of day and traffic conditions, an operator may have several minutes or just a few seconds to help the caller.
SLOW DOWN OR STOP
Frantic callers are not always the best problem solvers, so it's important that dispatchers remain patient and start with the basics. Considering the altered mental state of some callers, the reason for the acceleration may simply be that the driver is stepping on the gas rather than the brake. The operator should initially ask the caller what happens when they take their foot off the pedal altogether. If the vehicle slows, they should be directed to either put their foot down on the pedal to the far left or stay off the pedals altogether and allow the vehicle to slow on its own.
If that is not the issue then there might be a problem with the floor mat. In the case of the off-duty trooper and his family, the cause of the unexpected acceleration was determined to be an improperly sized floor mat installed by the company that loaned the trooper the car. If possible and safe, have the caller pull back the floor mat and ensure that it isn't lodged under the pedal. If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, they should firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. They should not pump the brake pedal repeatedly, as this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle. If the foot brake alone will not bring the vehicle to a stop, suggest the driver slowly engage the emergency brake of the car.
Another suggestion is to shift the transmission gear to the neutral position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop. In neutral, the operator should continue to have power steering. If the operator is unable to put the vehicle in neutral, then they should turn the engine completely off. Power assist to steering and brake systems will then be lost.
If the vehicle is equipped with an engine start/stop button, the caller should firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. They should not tap the button, but hold it down firmly. If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key ignition, they should turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Make sure they do not remove the key from the ingnition as this will lock the steering wheel.
WARN OTHERS
As you assist the caller with options to stop the vehicle, ascertain their speed. Suggest that they turn on their hazard lights and bear down on their car horn to alert other motorists, particularly when they approach intersections and heavy traffic.
It is imperative that the caller do all that they can to slow and/or stop the vehicle; if they are unable to do that, then they should try to do all they can to protect the people around them.
This type of situation is never easy to handle, but we must be prepared to tackle this type of call so that we can do our best to protect our callers. By reviewing these strategies, we have a better chance of providing help and guidance if we answer a call for one of these worst case scenarios.
Written by Angie Stiefermann, employed with the Jefferson City Police Department for 21 years as a CTO and for the last eight years as a telecommunications supervisor and instructor. As a member of a department that encourages continuing education, Stiefermann feels a responsibility to do her part in educating others through affordable or free training with the APCO training partnership.
As a 9-1-1 calltaker, there are days when you find yourself saying, "Every day is something new," while other days leave you feeling, "I've heard it all." There are definitely days that bring nothing new to the table, but occasionally even a seasoned calltaker is taken aback by a situation they've never experienced before or a routine call that takes an unexpected turn.
Last month's article focused on the unexpected call you could receive from someone who is locked in the trunk of a car. This month I am going to examine how you can help someone who is operating a vehicle with a stuck accelerator or failed brakes.
QUICK DECISIONS
A situation in which a motorist experiences a stuck accelerator pedal is rare, and receiving calls from a victim in this situation is even more rare. This issue gained national attention following the massive Toyota recall in 2009 due to issues with stuck accelerator pedals, and the death of off-duty California state trooper Mark Saylor and three family members the same year due to a stuck accelerator. Though you may never be faced with this scenario during your career, it's advantageous to be prepared to deal with it just in case it does. What you tell a caller could save a life.
As with all emergencies, the caller's location should be ascertained and emergency services sent. However, the operator should not become so focused on the location that they don't give the caller some tools to aid them in slowing the vehicle immediately. Depending upon speed, roadway, time of day and traffic conditions, an operator may have several minutes or just a few seconds to help the caller.
SLOW DOWN OR STOP
Frantic callers are not always the best problem solvers, so it's important that dispatchers remain patient and start with the basics. Considering the altered mental state of some callers, the reason for the acceleration may simply be that the driver is stepping on the gas rather than the brake. The operator should initially ask the caller what happens when they take their foot off the pedal altogether. If the vehicle slows, they should be directed to either put their foot down on the pedal to the far left or stay off the pedals altogether and allow the vehicle to slow on its own.
If that is not the issue then there might be a problem with the floor mat. In the case of the off-duty trooper and his family, the cause of the unexpected acceleration was determined to be an improperly sized floor mat installed by the company that loaned the trooper the car. If possible and safe, have the caller pull back the floor mat and ensure that it isn't lodged under the pedal. If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, they should firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. They should not pump the brake pedal repeatedly, as this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle. If the foot brake alone will not bring the vehicle to a stop, suggest the driver slowly engage the emergency brake of the car.
Another suggestion is to shift the transmission gear to the neutral position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop. In neutral, the operator should continue to have power steering. If the operator is unable to put the vehicle in neutral, then they should turn the engine completely off. Power assist to steering and brake systems will then be lost.
If the vehicle is equipped with an engine start/stop button, the caller should firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. They should not tap the button, but hold it down firmly. If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key ignition, they should turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Make sure they do not remove the key from the ingnition as this will lock the steering wheel.
WARN OTHERS
As you assist the caller with options to stop the vehicle, ascertain their speed. Suggest that they turn on their hazard lights and bear down on their car horn to alert other motorists, particularly when they approach intersections and heavy traffic.
It is imperative that the caller do all that they can to slow and/or stop the vehicle; if they are unable to do that, then they should try to do all they can to protect the people around them.
This type of situation is never easy to handle, but we must be prepared to tackle this type of call so that we can do our best to protect our callers. By reviewing these strategies, we have a better chance of providing help and guidance if we answer a call for one of these worst case scenarios.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Living With The Sacrifice
Taken from PoliceOne.com News, 3/21/14
Written by Barbara A. Schwartz, retired after 30 years with NASA in Houston where she worked in Mission Control and Astronaut Training. She is a former reserve officer serving in patrol and investigations. She has been writing about law enforcement officers since 1972 and has been a contributing feature writer for American Police Beat for the past 10 years. Her articles and book reviews have also appeared in Command, The Tactical Edge, Crisis Negotiator Journal, The Badge & Gun, The Harris County Star, The Blues, and The Police News. Schwartz earned a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University with electives in Criminal Justice and Criminology. She helped fund her education by working for the campus police department.
Why police families must live like there's 'no tomorrow'
Many officers miss their children's recitals, plays, and ball games becaue of work, but there are no do overs in life - you have the opportunity now to decide how you spend your time, so choose wisely.
Life can change in an instant. During the last year and a half, four significant people in my life passed away. Those losses changed my life.
Those losses largely kept me from writing my PoliceOne column in support of police officers and their families who must deal with catastrophic loss - line of duty injuries that have ended the career they love.
I want to share with you what I learned so you can benefit from my hard-learned lessons.
1.) People matter. Stuff does not. The relationships you make during your lifetime matters. The hearts you touch during your lifetime matters. The size of your flat screen TV doesn't matter. The kind of car or truck you drive doesn't matter.
2.) Make good memories. Spend your time and money making good, fun, happy memories with the people you love. Those memories will sustain your loved ones long after you are gone and help them heal from the grief of losing you.
Good memories last, don't have an expiration date, and can't be lost in a fire or flood.
3.) Eliminate regrets. If you died today, what would you regret? Fix those regrets now. Don't carry regrets to your grave. Deal with them while you are alive. Leaving regrets behind only complicates the grief and pain of those who will mourn your passing.
4.) Show people you love what they mean to you. Go beyond telling people that you love them - show them. Demonstrate it. Show people while you are alive, while you can, how much they mean to you.
This can be hard for law enforcement families because of the demands on your time and the unpredictability of the job. Many officers miss their children's recitals, plays, and ball games because of work. Take advantage of the times when you can be there and really be there. Leave work at work. Turn off the cell phone. Make those you love know they are important to you. Make quality time with your loved ones, family, and friends. Make good memories.
5.) Think about where you invest your time. None of the loved ones I lost died wishing they had spent more time at work, watching TV, cleaning the house, or buying stuff. They regretted what they hadn't done or said.
In my calendar book, I keep a page torn from a magazine containing an excerpt from the book, Live and Let Love to remind me what is important in life. In the article, Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC news correspondent Bob Woodruff who sustained a traumatic brain injury while covering the military in Iraq, states, "If I could do it over, I would leave more dishes in the sink. I would worry less about the to-do list and keeping the kitchen perfect for the next day. I'd spend more time sitting on my husband's lap."
There are no do overs in life - you have the opportunity now to decide how you spend your time. Next time you put chores before making memories, think again.
When was the last time you spent time in the arms of your loved one, or held them in yours, just because you can?
Invest your time wisely, because of lesson #6.
6.) You are dying. We all are dying. We have been since the day we were born. No one knows how many moments they have on the planet. Live like you are dying.
Ask yourself: what would you do and what would be important to you, if you had six months to live? Then go do those things. Don't put them off. Work on your bucket list now. Live now. Live today.
7.) Health is fragile. More officers die from physical and mental health issues than in the line of duty. Take care of yourself emotionally and physically. You only have one chance maintaining that body of yours. Don't screw it up. There are no do overs.
8.) Happiness is a choice. Happiness doesn't fall into your lap. Happiness is a choice and an attitude that comes from within. Each day you have the opportunity to live happy. Choose happiness and share the gift.
9.) All who love you live with fear. Through this column on PoliceOne, I've had the privilege to meet and hear from many officers who have sustained disabling injuries in the line of duty. I have heard from their families, caregivers, and children.
Not one was prepared for what happened to them, prepared for the changes in their lives, or the impact to their family members.
In law enforcement, all who love you live with the fear, the dread, that something could happen in the course of your workday.
Do you tell those who mean so much to you exactly what they mean to you?
Do your children know that you think they are wonderful, cool, incredible individuals? Have you told them that?
Does your spouse know that he or she is the reason you breathe? Have you told him or her that? Repeatedly? Every day.
Don't wait until you have that "whew that was close" moment. Don't wait until you are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease.
Implement my lessons learned today.
In an instant, life can change.
Written by Barbara A. Schwartz, retired after 30 years with NASA in Houston where she worked in Mission Control and Astronaut Training. She is a former reserve officer serving in patrol and investigations. She has been writing about law enforcement officers since 1972 and has been a contributing feature writer for American Police Beat for the past 10 years. Her articles and book reviews have also appeared in Command, The Tactical Edge, Crisis Negotiator Journal, The Badge & Gun, The Harris County Star, The Blues, and The Police News. Schwartz earned a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University with electives in Criminal Justice and Criminology. She helped fund her education by working for the campus police department.
Why police families must live like there's 'no tomorrow'
Many officers miss their children's recitals, plays, and ball games becaue of work, but there are no do overs in life - you have the opportunity now to decide how you spend your time, so choose wisely.
Life can change in an instant. During the last year and a half, four significant people in my life passed away. Those losses changed my life.
Those losses largely kept me from writing my PoliceOne column in support of police officers and their families who must deal with catastrophic loss - line of duty injuries that have ended the career they love.
I want to share with you what I learned so you can benefit from my hard-learned lessons.
1.) People matter. Stuff does not. The relationships you make during your lifetime matters. The hearts you touch during your lifetime matters. The size of your flat screen TV doesn't matter. The kind of car or truck you drive doesn't matter.
2.) Make good memories. Spend your time and money making good, fun, happy memories with the people you love. Those memories will sustain your loved ones long after you are gone and help them heal from the grief of losing you.
Good memories last, don't have an expiration date, and can't be lost in a fire or flood.
3.) Eliminate regrets. If you died today, what would you regret? Fix those regrets now. Don't carry regrets to your grave. Deal with them while you are alive. Leaving regrets behind only complicates the grief and pain of those who will mourn your passing.
4.) Show people you love what they mean to you. Go beyond telling people that you love them - show them. Demonstrate it. Show people while you are alive, while you can, how much they mean to you.
This can be hard for law enforcement families because of the demands on your time and the unpredictability of the job. Many officers miss their children's recitals, plays, and ball games because of work. Take advantage of the times when you can be there and really be there. Leave work at work. Turn off the cell phone. Make those you love know they are important to you. Make quality time with your loved ones, family, and friends. Make good memories.
5.) Think about where you invest your time. None of the loved ones I lost died wishing they had spent more time at work, watching TV, cleaning the house, or buying stuff. They regretted what they hadn't done or said.
In my calendar book, I keep a page torn from a magazine containing an excerpt from the book, Live and Let Love to remind me what is important in life. In the article, Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC news correspondent Bob Woodruff who sustained a traumatic brain injury while covering the military in Iraq, states, "If I could do it over, I would leave more dishes in the sink. I would worry less about the to-do list and keeping the kitchen perfect for the next day. I'd spend more time sitting on my husband's lap."
There are no do overs in life - you have the opportunity now to decide how you spend your time. Next time you put chores before making memories, think again.
When was the last time you spent time in the arms of your loved one, or held them in yours, just because you can?
Invest your time wisely, because of lesson #6.
6.) You are dying. We all are dying. We have been since the day we were born. No one knows how many moments they have on the planet. Live like you are dying.
Ask yourself: what would you do and what would be important to you, if you had six months to live? Then go do those things. Don't put them off. Work on your bucket list now. Live now. Live today.
7.) Health is fragile. More officers die from physical and mental health issues than in the line of duty. Take care of yourself emotionally and physically. You only have one chance maintaining that body of yours. Don't screw it up. There are no do overs.
8.) Happiness is a choice. Happiness doesn't fall into your lap. Happiness is a choice and an attitude that comes from within. Each day you have the opportunity to live happy. Choose happiness and share the gift.
9.) All who love you live with fear. Through this column on PoliceOne, I've had the privilege to meet and hear from many officers who have sustained disabling injuries in the line of duty. I have heard from their families, caregivers, and children.
Not one was prepared for what happened to them, prepared for the changes in their lives, or the impact to their family members.
In law enforcement, all who love you live with the fear, the dread, that something could happen in the course of your workday.
Do you tell those who mean so much to you exactly what they mean to you?
Do your children know that you think they are wonderful, cool, incredible individuals? Have you told them that?
Does your spouse know that he or she is the reason you breathe? Have you told him or her that? Repeatedly? Every day.
Don't wait until you have that "whew that was close" moment. Don't wait until you are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease.
Implement my lessons learned today.
In an instant, life can change.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Casting Call For "Outrageous 911"
A production company in California is looking "for a FEW GOOD DISPATCHERS to play themselves on 'Outrageous 911' a new television series for TLC."
"The show features wacky and unusual non-emergency calls that waste dispatchers valuable time and clog up the 911 system. We're looking for dispatchers to comment on the stories and talk about how to properly use the 911 system."
If you, or someone you know, are interested in being considered for the show, contact Diane Eaton at (626) 535-0868 ext. 248.
Unfortunately, casting is only being held in California, but audio of actual 911 calls from any state are welcome. If you have answered a call that you feel would qualify for this show, check with your commanding officer to make sure it can be released, and give the production company a call.
"The show features wacky and unusual non-emergency calls that waste dispatchers valuable time and clog up the 911 system. We're looking for dispatchers to comment on the stories and talk about how to properly use the 911 system."
If you, or someone you know, are interested in being considered for the show, contact Diane Eaton at (626) 535-0868 ext. 248.
Unfortunately, casting is only being held in California, but audio of actual 911 calls from any state are welcome. If you have answered a call that you feel would qualify for this show, check with your commanding officer to make sure it can be released, and give the production company a call.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Rare Praise for Public Servants In Song...Enjoy!!!!
I found this on YouTube and I was so thrilled. As you all know, we always get blasted when we make mistakes but rarely get praise for doing the job right. Stay safe out there!!
http://youtu.be/Pm3eHZnfjPI
http://youtu.be/Pm3eHZnfjPI
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