911 - Worse Than You Think

[Unregistered]

The problem is exactly the same in Pasco. Everything asked is based on protocol software they say it limits liability and if something were to happen the company that makes the software will stand by the agency to reduce damages. Call takers cant ask any questions they deem necessary until after the caller has answered every single question on thier list. They can't skip ahead and type info the caller is giving now for a question that needs to be answered later. One question at a time, click the appropriate box to generate the next. They get graded on the calls they answer by QA. Double verify the address and phone number even if it's phase 2. Accidential dial? 15 questions before they disconnect.

[Unregistered]

There's two former dispatchers that just made the switch to the road. Feel free to hit them up with your questions and concerns and Im sure they can give you a better understanding of why it's such a clusterfck. They answered a lot of mine and i see now that it isn't the calltakers fault. They don't get paid enough as it is for the crap they deal with.

[Unregistered]

The problem is exactly the same in Pasco. Everything asked is based on protocol software they say it limits liability and if something were to happen the company that makes the software will stand by the agency to reduce damages. Call takers cant ask any questions they deem necessary until after the caller has answered every single question on thier list. They can't skip ahead and type info the caller is giving now for a question that needs to be answered later. One question at a time, click the appropriate box to generate the next. They get graded on the calls they answer by QA. Double verify the address and phone number even if it's phase 2. Accidential dial? 15 questions before they disconnect.

That's not necessarily true. From my understanding Pinellas does not use EPD, which is a protocol based program. They do use EMD and EFD, where everything must be asked in a particular order and answered before moving on. Spontaneous information for all three types of calls can be entered into the notes at any time.

You're giving the caller too much credit, thinking they give pertinent info voluntarily lol. I've had to request to listen to some of my 911 calls, and it's a wonder how these 911 callers have made it this far in life.

[Unregistered]

There's two former dispatchers that just made the switch to the road. Feel free to hit them up with your questions and concerns and Im sure they can give you a better understanding of why it's such a clusterfck. They answered a lot of mine and i see now that it isn't the calltakers fault. They don't get paid enough as it is for the crap they deal with.

One former PCSO dispatcher, the other worked for 911 and hated PCSO. Wasn't quiet about it either, until she got hired, of course.

[Unregistered]

One former PCSO dispatcher, the other worked for 911 and hated PCSO. Wasn't quiet about it either, until she got hired, of course.

Who is that?

[Unregistered]

He's talking about me. Not sure where that rumor ever started, or why. I started in the old SAB and almost felt like my loyalty was there before 911 took over. I have so many friends here. Short of the banter between dispatchers and road units, there was never any hard feelings. But I'll happily address any concerns.

[Unregistered]

nah you good, someone who's a little too salty for their own good likes to act like you weren't a good fit welcome to the fam

[Unregistered]

He's talking about me. Not sure where that rumor ever started, or why. I started in the old SAB and almost felt like my loyalty was there before 911 took over. I have so many friends here. Short of the banter between dispatchers and road units, there was never any hard feelings. But I'll happily address any concerns.

Oh, come on CG... Those FB posts about PCSO... The snide comments you'd make when the SO dispatcher asked you for more info on a call... You don't remember those? PCSO sure does. 😊
People talk, and it's not always false. There may have been no hard feelings but voicing your displeasure for a place you want to get hired at is a rookie move. At least you were smart enough when you worked there to know that 911 sucked and got out.

You sure do have a new perspective on how your former coworkers handle those calls now that you're responding to them, don't you?

Those questions from the road and dispatcher weren't so stupid now, were they?

They work REALLY hard over there at 911 to make sure law enforcement calls are handled just as well as FD/EMS calls, don't they?

It's really not that hard to pick a signal, is it?

[Unregistered]

Now now, the only comments made were in light hearted jest in favor of dispatchers, and always less harsh than what came out of others in *both* pods. You guys are still defended whenever a question is asked from the road about why a call was coded the way it was. There was never an issue with pcso not coding a call correctly, it was county, which makes that whole rumor silly. Lest we forget I was fumbling through coding things correctly at one time as well.

There's only one person up there that felt the need to say the switch wasn't warranted due to that misconception alone and it was obviously laughed at, and proved to be unfounded. If specific comments made during specific situations constitute a "hatred" for the agency, everyone in that comm center would have some answering to do, including you lady.

Keep up the efforts to help bridge that discconnect between road and do. It's needed now more than ever.