When to cut a kid some slack

[HERBIE1]

Geez, you guys are harsh. Fire a 20-year veteran, and in this economy? Yeah, he did something incredibly stupid, but a two-week suspension is enough punishment if this is the first time he's gotten into trouble. I wonder if perhaps he was temporarily put in dispatch for a work-related injury, and then wasn't properly trained. It's unlikely that a professional. experienced dispatcher would have done this. Reminds me of the thread from a couple of months ago---remember the nurse who was supposed to triage calls and ends up refusing to send an ambulance because the caller was rude?

Think liability here. If that patient died because the officer essentially refused to send help, that is WRONG and subjects the department and municipality to a lawsuit. There is also plenty of legal precedent that proves this. A dispatcher's job is to take calls, screen them, assess what type of help is needed and send it, and our job is to respond. This is not a difficult concept and a veteran officer would be fully aware of what he was supposed to do.

WTF was this guy thinking? I've disptached and yes, people can be incredibly rude- and stupid. Welcome to the world of public service. If this guy is a 20 year veteran he SHOULD already know this and should not be a revelation. There is no excuse for what he did.

[Dustdevil]

I would love for the officers to have arrived there to find an officer down.

They would have gone back and killed this guy themselves.

[Lone Star]

The cop and the dispatcher are two different people.

Remember, the dispatcher called the cop, and thats how he knew that she was the one cussing on the phone.

I think there should be 2 people losing their job over this!

[Dustdevil]

Ah. I was under the impression that this moron walked out and hooked her up himself. I agree, the arresting officer should also be fired and prosecuted.

When someone actually goes through the trouble to drive to the police station to make a complaint, it is never a good idea to make things worse for yourself by falsely arresting them.

[fiznat]

If this were EMS, and that dispatcher worked for a private service, he would be fired without a second thought. I suppose the fact that he wasn't goes to show some of the differences between private and municipal public service.

[firedoc5]

Why did his guy take the use of the "F'' word so much of an issue? After 20 yrs on the street and/ or behind a dispatcher's desk I'm sure he's heard before and probably said it himself occasionally. And when a girl, or anyone, calls using the "F" word, that should have thrown up a red flag that there was something going on that was not all that common. It should have got his attention and not his ire. To me he was very unprofessional

One punishment that was not mention was to take one of his stripes away, with a drop in pay grade.

My grandmother told me when I very young that profanity just shows your ignorance of the english language. Keep in mind she was a true southern belle. But I've heard her mutter a word or two, usually along the lines of "damn yankees".

[Richard B the EMT]

My grandmother, and my mom, taught me an attitude to not curse routinely, otherwise, how would anyone know you're really upset? If you use curses routinely, there is no shock value when used during times of anger.

(Grandmother S, and Momma B, 2 smart ladies, these!)

[chaser]

My grandmother, and my mom, taught me an attitude to not curse routinely, otherwise, how would anyone know you're really upset? If you use curses routinely, there is no shock value when used during times of anger.

(Grandmother S, and Momma B, 2 smart ladies, these!)

LOL Richard!!

Wise woman indeed. For life in general, you should always pick your battles carefully, and when you do pick....

those who know you will recognize the distinction!!