SPEAKING OF TRAINING

Sounds like it's the same no matter what agency you're at. I'm at a smaller agency (Highlands county) and we just consolidated with Sebring PD. We're getting ready to consolidate with EOC dispatch, where we'll take over medical and fire also, and we're so short staffed it isn't even funny. We have the same problems keeping trainees. If they hire five or six at once, then three or four months later we're lucky if one of them is still there. Everyone seems to do okay until they hit the radio. Only one of the Sebring PD dispatchers that come over with the consolidation made it through our training. I doubt that many or any of the EOC ones will stay long, since they're used to only medical/fire dispatch, and they have a much slower pace over there. One thing our agency does that I HATE--someone comes in with an application for a position elsewhere in the building, either administrative or something else, and if there isn't an opening there, they talk them into putting in for dispatch. We end up getting people who not only have no freaking idea what a dispatcher even is, or what we do, but it's not the position they wanted anyway. So we waste our time training them for a couple months before they predictably walk out. Or else they tell them that the opening they actually want will be available in a few months, and meantime why not work in dispatch? So they put them with us, and when months go by and their promised position never opens, they get disgruntled on top of it. It's hell, I tell you!

Behind the mic, I know the feeling.. We all here in my dpt are going thru the samething. Unfortunally our recruitment office place people in our dpt to warm chairs, meanwhile possitions for police offcrs are open!
We are understaff, only 4 bodies per shift! So dont feel that bad!

DO YOU HAVE AN 'SOP'?

Are you asking if they have Standard Operating Procedures? If so can you be more specific? I didnt quite understand your post.

Sounds like the turnover issue runs rampant among our agencies. We're a consolidated center and I believe at one time in the last 10 years (since consolidation) we were at our all time low of 5 vacancies. We're back up to 20 vacancies now.

An average of 2 full time employees come from a batch of 5-7 applicants. *And yes, many of our recruits are rejects from other divisions.

The hiring process from application to start of training can take from 2 months to 6 months. What job-seeker can afford to wait around for a job that long??? Not to mention a job where you have to work shifts (probably nights because you have no seniority) your days off rotate, you will probably be working most of the holidays, and you're lucky if you are able to take a vacation when you want one.

You will always have a core of career employees; (we've been here 15 years, why bother starting over somewhere else), but in order to maintain and retain the rest of them, the pay has to be attractive enough to compensate for the lousy hours, the stress and the lack of recognition involved in this 'thankless' job.

Then there's the discouragement and aggravation you feel after devoting almost 3 months training somebody, who then decides this job isn't for them.

It's no wonder we get cynical and bitter. But I love my job!

WE HAVE 1 SUPERVISIOR AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE OPENING (HOPEFULLY TO BE FILLED SOON ) WE WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS APPROX 14 DAYS OF THE MONTH THERE IS ONLY ONE DISPATCHER ON SHIFT WE RUN THE RADIO , ANSWER 911 CALLS , DISPATCH FIRE AND RESCUE , DISPATCH UTILITIES , TELETYPE AND FCIC NCIC AND ALL NON EMERGENCY CALLS , BASICALLY WE DO IT ALL . GRANTED , WE ARE A SMALLER AGENCY AND OUR CALL VOLUME PROBABLY ISN'T AS HIGH AS THE REST OF YOUR AGENCY'S

We have a pretty big center- all state of the art. Truly a great work environment from someone who's had previous experience in other comm centers.

We offer a choice of 2 schedules: 12/8/12/8 with 3 days off, or 5- 8 hr days (2 days off). 3 shifts, 4 floor supvs per shift 1 operations spv per shift.

Positions manned 24/7: 5 on Fire; 5 on Law radios with 8 call takers during peak hours and 4 call takers during the 'wee' hours.

All floor personnel are 'required' to work 4 hours OT per week, we do everything possible to avoid mandating folks to work.

We have part-time personnel and deputies/detectives that help out with the overtime.

We have tons of overtime, I don't know how it all gets covered, but I'm always grateful that it does.

Our 15-20 vacancies (depends on the day of the week), is and always has been the root of all issues. Higher salaries would be a plus, but the powers that be keep talking 'budget cuts'.

We have our share of finger pointing on who or what is to blame, I won't go into that because the last thing I want is to turn this topic sour.

Only one piece of advice: Show your people that you appreciate them.

hey sarasota, from manatee.. r people passing ur training over there? does whoever is in charge of ur center(director/head dispatcher) ever work a position? shift supervisor? several of us would like to be able to sign up for 4 hours of ot a week but instead we have a ot calendar that we sign up for a month advance, so if theres no ot on it then theres no guaranteed ot, which sux. if someone calls in sick, theres a list they call people to see if they want it. we HAVE to carry a pager every 4-5 wks depends on staffing. if ot on the calendar doesnt get covered, we get MANDATORIED in. we work 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, so one week we work 2 days the next week we work 5 days. and we can be mandatoried in up to 5 days 1 week & 2 days the next week. ive only been here a few years and i dont think anyone has had to get mandatory all 5 days, but 3 for sure. we r losing people cause they cant pass training. we also have deptuies and other employees that work ot we love them for helping out.

Are you asking if they have Standard Operating Procedures? If so can you be more specific? I didnt quite understand your post.

Sorry, that's what I ment to say... Do you have the STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES?

All floor supervisors work positions, the 3 operations supervisors don't have to work the floor, but most do, sometimes as a last resort, but its better than nothing. The center manager (Captain), got himself trained so he could also 'man' the phones, and the operations manager helps out alot, usually the worse hours (3am to 7am).

It's a morale booster when you see everyone pitching in.

As far as overtime goes, - we have a book that contains all the PRE-PLANNED OT...current month's overtime and the upcoming month's overtime, the book gets updated almost daily, there's plenty of overtime for everyone. Only the supervisors carry pagers.

The last minute overtime is usually the toughest to cover.

**Regarding the training program, - since we started using criticall & talent plus, the quality of applicants has improved, - and most have passed training. HOWEVER, the quantity of applicants that actually make it to training -has taken a dive. We're told it's due to the "lengthy hiring process" or they're not passing the backgrounds. That's being addressed as we speak, so we hope to see improvement.

For the person inquiring about SOP's - we got 'em, and then some.

I have a question....who's using a Quality Assurance program?