Due to the recent tragedy, I have began to do alot of reflecting on my job as a dispatcher. I have been a dispatcher since I was 19 years old and have always had pride in my job. I began wondering, due to the effect that this one call has had on me personally, am I "getting soft"? Will I be unable to do my job from now on without making it personal or becoming biased? Do I fear that I will panic in the line of duty and not be able to get the job done? My answer to myself was a quick, unhesitatant "NO". During my soul searching, I figured out alot about myself.
One of the reasons that I said "NO", is that I think things like this actually make you a better dispatcher...and person. One of the things that is not a requirement to be a dispatcher (but should be), is emphathy.
When I first began dispatching, it was honestly because I needed a job, and as a criminal justice major, what better part time job could there be? Over the years, I have found that I do love my job. I have also discovered that the older I get, and the more of my life I live, I have come to care more and more everyday. I've always said "the moment you stop caring about the people you serve is the moment you need to find another job", and this is more true now than ever.
This empathy is something that we all need to embrace, and though we need to use it responsibly and with caution, it needs to be a part of our everyday life. I think that this emotional tool is the defining factor between a "good dispatcher" and a "great dispatcher". Not saying I'm great, but I would love to be...and I see nothing wrong with this being my ultimate goal.
One thing that resulted from this tragedy, personally, is to make me look deep into myself and realize just how important my job (and of course my loved ones, no job could ever be more important that them) actually is. This is actually pretty easy to forget sometimes when you have people ridiculing you, cussing at you, and even the occasional threat on a daily basis. I hate with everything that no matter how good of a job that we or anyone else did, that the outcome of this tragedy wasn't different. I will however, remember them everytime I pick up that phone and realize that I must do the best job that I can do to try to prevent it from happening again. Everyone plays a part...
Friday, March 11, 2011
Everything Happens For a Reason Part 1
Most of the time that I blog, post a status on Facebook, or upload pictures, it is usually to share with my friends and family events that have occurred, experiences I've shared, or to highlight the people in my life. However, sometimes just need to write, to share my thoughts and emotions in a way that can't be expressed through speech. This is one of those times...
One Monday, March 7, 2010, I went into work, expecting it to be a normal day. Usually on Mondays, we try to maintain patience while giving people copies of reports and trying not to forget fire test pages. After a couple of hours of the usual, receive a 911 call and the gentleman calling advised me of a "very bad" motor vehicle accident on Hwy 231, south of Troy. I asked the normal questions, "how many vehicles?, are there any injuries?, are either of the vehicles overturned?", as the other two dispatchers also began taking mutiple calls on the same accident. The response was automatic...rescue, ambulance, officers, etc were all en route within seconds and on scene within minutes. Unfortunately, the quick response time was just not good enough. Brittany Pugh, Theresa Adams, and Brittany's 15 month old son Shep were killed in the accident.
The hours that followed the accident were drearily long as we were slowly finding out the details and received the news of their passing. As a dispatcher, one of the first things that you want to do after dealing with something like this is to grab your loved one and hold them tight...
That night, as I lay down trying to sleep, of course I said a prayer for them and their families. It took a while for sleep to come that night and honestly, every night since.
I have taken calls from many people who have later passed away, had family members pass away, and even a couple that took their last breathe will talking to me. I, however, have never had a call affect me the way this one has. It may be the circumstances, the people involved, the fact that I took the first call, or maybe I now question my saving grace whenever something bad happens, which is "everything happens for a reason". I have dwelled on trying to find a reason for this tragedy, and so far, have been unsuccessful. I can only hope that their loved ones eventually come to understand the reason and that it gives them peace, even if I never do...
One Monday, March 7, 2010, I went into work, expecting it to be a normal day. Usually on Mondays, we try to maintain patience while giving people copies of reports and trying not to forget fire test pages. After a couple of hours of the usual, receive a 911 call and the gentleman calling advised me of a "very bad" motor vehicle accident on Hwy 231, south of Troy. I asked the normal questions, "how many vehicles?, are there any injuries?, are either of the vehicles overturned?", as the other two dispatchers also began taking mutiple calls on the same accident. The response was automatic...rescue, ambulance, officers, etc were all en route within seconds and on scene within minutes. Unfortunately, the quick response time was just not good enough. Brittany Pugh, Theresa Adams, and Brittany's 15 month old son Shep were killed in the accident.
The hours that followed the accident were drearily long as we were slowly finding out the details and received the news of their passing. As a dispatcher, one of the first things that you want to do after dealing with something like this is to grab your loved one and hold them tight...
That night, as I lay down trying to sleep, of course I said a prayer for them and their families. It took a while for sleep to come that night and honestly, every night since.
I have taken calls from many people who have later passed away, had family members pass away, and even a couple that took their last breathe will talking to me. I, however, have never had a call affect me the way this one has. It may be the circumstances, the people involved, the fact that I took the first call, or maybe I now question my saving grace whenever something bad happens, which is "everything happens for a reason". I have dwelled on trying to find a reason for this tragedy, and so far, have been unsuccessful. I can only hope that their loved ones eventually come to understand the reason and that it gives them peace, even if I never do...
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