Jumpline magazine January 2024 - Flipbook - Page 45
Dispatch Continued
pads, information on 昀椀re rescue, and spinners. We
also purchased Halloween treats, which consisted
of Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers,
and enough sugary stuff to get a few of those babies
some good ole detention time. I have to thank dispatcher Keisher McKoy for her help in putting those
treat bags together. I could not have done all of that
work without her. On the career day, I must say, the
students were engaged. “By a show of hands, when
do you call 911?” The entire classroom had an answer for us. We asked, “Who wants to play a game?”
and that’s when the shyness rose to the top. They got
through it. We came equipped with two walkie talkies.
One student stood with me at the board and that student was playing the role of the dispatcher and one
student went out into the hallway with Laura to act
as the 昀椀re昀椀ghter. The classroom was equipped with
a smart board, so we were able to go online and pull
up active 昀椀re rescue calls. (Pat Top Drawer pls add
photo of dispatch board here pls which I will send to
accompany this article) The dispatcher read the call
into the walkie talkie and the 昀椀re昀椀ghter in the hallway
acknowledged. They loved hearing their information
received and repeated back to them. The focus was
effective communication.
Overall, we try to exit our comfort zone whenever
we can. The biggest test right now is our new Premier 1 CAD, better known as P1. As of this writing,
it has been operational for two months. It’s important
for us to maximize what we have to work with. Our
time in service to dispatch is limited, but our impact
goes beyond the con昀椀nes of time, headquarters, and
dispatching. I feel our knowledge and in昀氀uence is in昀椀nite. I’m hoping that the legacy we leave behind is
that of fun, giving vibes of comradery, and fostering a
new culture among dispatchers.
January 2024 | JUMPLINE Magazine
45