911 Dispatchers

I'm writing this article as a personal “thank you” to 911 dispatchers. One of the true law enforcement jobs that doesn't get the credit it deserves.

We're all familiar with the 911 recordings that are played on the nightly news. Usually garbled messages from a panicked person in the midst of a crisis. The situations are always different, a murder, a missing child, or an armed robbery. The one constant is the calm and reassuring voice on the part of the call taker. Imagine that for a living, you speak to people at the worst times in their lives. It's your job to remain calm and rational when lives are truly on the line.

Dispatching is not a job for anyone of the street. It takes a special person to wake up everyday knowing that you can't have a bad day, you're simply not allowed to. A dispatcher can't drop the ball. If you do, citizens don't get the services they need, and the officers on the street don't get to go home to their families. On top of it all, after your shift you have to go on like a normal person.

Like all law enforcement jobs, dispatchers receive an immense amount of training. In addition to the training required to be certified to do the job, they also have to attend regular training to maintain their certification. Subjects ranging from the mundane to suicide prevention are covered. They have to know how to properly handle every situation they're presented with. They have to know the jurisdiction they work for, and how to manage the resources available to them on the street. When the situation on the ground is difficult, and complex for the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, the situation is compounded for the dispatchers. They need to know where everyone is, what they are capable of, and how much help they'll need.

Dispatcher jobs, and other law enforcement jobs, are available in most parts of the country on a regular basis. Most jurisdictions are regularly in need, just like with other law enforcement jobs. Check your local department's website for availability and requirements. However, before you apply, don't just consider these basic requirements. Try to speak to someone who works in the field to see if the job is right for you. You'll need the professionalism, and the personal fortitude to perform to standard under the worst conditions.

Now for the real purpose of this article, a personal thanks to the dispatchers. Although I can't divulge the agency I'm referring to, you know who you are. When it's all on the line I know you've got my back. There are several times when I wouldn't have made it home to my family without you guys. You really are the angels on our shoulders. Thank you and keep up the good work.

P.S. I'll try to slow it down.

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