Why do we hate dispatch?

[Dustdevil]

A phenomenon has occurred in the last twenty years that has created a lot more hate of dispatchers than in previous decades. Computerisation.

We now have an entire generation of dispatchers who are nothing more than computer animated automatons, without an intelligent reasoning, free-thinking brain cell in their heads. Whatever the computer says is gospel, and any effort to dispute that is heresy. If the computer says Unit 1 is the closest unit, then no amount of protestation by Unit 2 that they are actually already on the scene is going to convince the dispatcher otherwise. It's just retarded. It's protocol-monkeying times ten.

I worked one computerised SSM system where each night, at exactly midnight, the computer would tell the dispatcher to move us one district north of our current position. The "system," in it's infinite wisdom, seemed to think that we were more likely to be needed up north after midnight than down south. Almost every single night, like clockwork, we would catch an emergency run to the south within an hour after moving north. It was SO predictable! You might go a shift without it happening, but we NEVER caught a run to the north after moving north. Never. This went on for a solid year. It was brought up repeatedly in meetings and even charted statistically to prove the point. But it was said that "we" can't change the system. Only the computer can change the system. :roll:

So yeah... computerisation and SSM are two things that have seriously hurt the reputations of dispatchers.

[brentoli]

Dust,

I don't know how to effectively state that you are right 1000 diffrent ways. We share our computer system with another agency in a diffrent building. When they have computer issues localized to their buildings, they have to call us to pull up run cards for fire and ambulance calls.

In our center, we just look at a map.

[fallout]

I think the ability to look at a physical map is a major problem with many dispatchers.

At the company I worked at before this one, even our good dispatchers had no concept of where hospitals were and how long it would take to get to them. There was times were I would spend an hour and a half getting to the transfer call, only to learn they had given them a half hour eta.. to drive across the entire city...during rush hour?

I agree about the role swap thing. I think it would benefit everyone, a bit.

[emtannie]

Biggest thing is dispatch needs to stay out of the treatment field.

So when the lady calls and says her husband isn't breathing, I shouldn't give instructions on opening airway, checking for breathing, giving two breaths........ etc..... I should just say "I am sorry your husband is dead ma'am, but the ambulance will be there in about 7 minutes......"

If educated properly, there are pre-arrival instructions dispatch can provide.... and I don't just mean in the above situation..... I have had callers too stupid to get out of a burning building, and when I asked "are you safe and out of danger" they realize that they are still in the burning building....

And...please, please, please for God's sake, give me some clue as to what I'm walking in to. Don't tell me this person called 911 and you can't tell me anything about what is going on or what the medical problem might be. If the caller won't tell you anything, that's one thing. But tell me if there's screaming in the background, if the caller is saying something like "my leg has fallen off," "I'm going to kill you," or "no, put down the ax!"

I would hope that the dispatcher would tell you if they hear anything in the background.... if they didn't tell you, and there was something of importance, they should be disciplined. But until you have taken some of these calls, it isn't as easy as you would think to hear what is in the background all the time.... or to tell if the caller is telling the truth.... I would encourage you to sit in on a few shifts, and listen to the calls.... see what they deal with.

I will admit, even though I have worked 911 dispatch, there are days when I question the intelligence of the dispatcher I get on a call..... there should be protocols for followup after calls. Can you listen to the tapes?

Again... education is the key - uneducated dispatchers is a recipe for disaster. And when Fire, police, EMS, and dispatch have to work together, and dispatch doesn't know what we do, and we don't know what they do, that is also a recipe for disaster...

[brentoli]

YES!

There is a point of hysteria where you can not get a caller back from it. Sometimes we push these callers over the edge. Sometimes they have passed it before they call.

Belive it or not, people lie. Age and wisdom, help dispatchers uncover those lies sometimes, but, it also leads to jaded dispatchers.

If anyone is near Indy for a day, hit me up, I'll let you come tether into me for 8 hours. You can get a feel of what I do.

[katbemeEMT-B]

I just got back from a call, 82 y/o female, heart hx, dialysis pt, feeling faint, found laying at the bottom of steps. More information can be provided. Address was given, but no fax was sent. Upon going en-route, we radioed dispatch to get direction as this is a at the farthest end of our PSA (not many calls out there).

The dispatcher says, "follow highway A south, when you hit the intersections of highway A and B you will go about 3 miles and then take a left or right. This will take you to Old Lady Lane and the house is two block down."

I looked at the driver and responded, "Did her just say take a left OR right?"

Driver says, "Yep."

I radio back, "Dispatch, can you please clarify whether that was a left turn or a right turn off of highway A?"

Dispatch, "Yep, it was."

Sensing we are getting no where, "Dispatch, can you have Little Town Rescue meet us on highway A where we are suppose to turn?"

Dispatch, "10-4. Little Town Rescue did you copy?"

Little Town Rescue, "10-4, our grass rig is already there."

Once on scene, one of the guys asked the driver who the idiot was dispatching that he didn't know whether we were suppose to turn left or right. We have no idea. When we called in for our times, we asked the dispatcher what that was all about. The guy couldn't tell from the map if we were suppose to go east or west. Hey bonehead, the road only goes one way!

This is what frustrates crews. Incompetence! Brent, I can tell you without a doubt, we also have some dispatchers that are wickedly awesome and I would put my life in their hands. I think maybe, because we are such cynics, we just complain about the bad ones and don't give credit to the good ones. So, to those dispatchers that know what they are doing, and can navigate a crew efficiently, =D> thank you.

[Brady]

I don't hate the dispatchers, but I do hate when they disregard what I say because they don't think its pertinent. If I ask is there police on the scene yet thats important to me. And a grunt or just keying the mic is not a sufficiant answer. I agree that there is alot going on. Here when you are in class some agencies make you go and spend a day with dispatch. I feel that is a good idea. But I have bad days too when a pt asks me a question and if I grunt that is not a job well done.

[kyle308]

YES!

There is a point of hysteria where you can not get a caller back from it. Sometimes we push these callers over the edge. Sometimes they have passed it before they call.

Belive it or not, people lie. Age and wisdom, help dispatchers uncover those lies sometimes, but, it also leads to jaded dispatchers.

If anyone is near Indy for a day, hit me up, I'll let you come tether into me for 8 hours. You can get a feel of what I do.

im 30 min from indy every day and night lol