A Day In The Life

I rarely talk about work so I thought today, I’d offer a glimpse into a typical ‘day at the office’. For any of you not in the know, the job that pays the bills is working as 911 dispatcher for Police/Fire/EMS. It can be very stressful at times especially now since we are so short staffed. Luckily enough, even w/staffing issues we get some downtime. This job definitely wears on you if you let it. Our building is relatively new. It’s only 6 years old. However, it runs 24/7 so things break or wear out often. Throw in, people being in the room constantly and you begin too see a not to neat picture. Our cleaning crews does a decent job of keeping us above pig status though. *g*

Here we see yours truly ready to start the day. (Or as ready as I’m ever gonna get. *g*) I don’t wear a uniform or have to dress up. I wear “civies” or civilian clothes. Usually, just tshirt and jeans. Thankfully, we aren’t required to dress up. It’s pointless, especially on days when you pull a 12 hour shift. A lot of agencies do require uniforms of the polo shirt variety. However, we would much rather spend said monies on better salaries/retirement for employees first. There may come a day when we ear uniforms but not anytime soon.

When given the time, we might check out the gym. It’s tiny by any standard but when you need a break from the drama, it comes in handy, yes indeedy! I forget who donated the TV and DVD player but it helps. We also have a very small washroom with one washer/dryer set. We have to pay but it’s on 50¢. Doesn’t work for me at all due to only having the motorcycle. For some it’s a godsend.

I’m not sure how I find anything in my locker but I manage. It usually varies from week to week. Often times, it’s crammed full of training materials. I’ve managed to offload most of my instruction booklets on the training department. They keep’em in much better shape than I do. What you don’t see is the full dressing room. We also have showers. They come in handy during long hours or emergency mobilizations. Recently, they’ve installed frosted shower curtains. Frankly, I don’t care to see the folks I work w/naked, even thur frosted plastic. eeeek!

Your tax dollars at work! Actually this is a skit. I’m always ragging my buddy Terris about his antics so we took this shot as a spoof. I can’t really take pics of the dispatch floor. I have security clearance to be in the room but, the state frowns on pictures that might reveal sensative info. This will have to be your floor view.

Of course, being a union rep, I have to stop by the bulletin board every day to check on any new drama. Since I’m the treasurer, I also post bulletins and memo’s regarding cash flow. Oh the joy right? Having been the butt of work related drama, I make an effort to maintain it. Employees need a place to turn for info. Some people are uncomfortable approaching a rep until they’ve figured out whether or not they have a legitimate beef. It also helps to know your rights in advance of a problem.

By day’s end, you really are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. 911 is a thankless job. You get yelled at by citizens, officers, and every wacko who has a bone to pick. No one ever calls to say “thank you” or “great job”. We do make an effort to support each other. Sadly, we are often overlooked in the chain of events relating to critical incidents in the city. However, more and more every day, the powers that be realize we play a critical link in the first response chain. I’d love for it to be an overnight sensation but that’s not very practical. Slow but steady progress is always good in my book.

Not very glamorous is it? Most folks think our job is non-stop action and excitement. And while sometimes it can be, that’s usually not the case. But, like most civil servant positions, it’s stable work, w/great benefits. For many who are unemployed that is more than hoped.

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