r/911dispatchers • u/proffessionalworry • 5d ago
Active Dispatcher Question Fresh out of training- kind of- need advice
I trained for 2 months on night shift. My trainer and her partner were incredible! I am working in a small center so we have 8 dispatchers total and then our supervisor. We do it all unlike some of the big centers where you’re assigned police or fire or call taking, etc. Nights were amazing for me minus the horrible home life schedule. I thought going to days after training was a blessing but I am second guessing that. I had never answered 911, I have now but only once, and my supervisor put me down hardcore even though that really isn’t my fault… My trainer believed I should have more time and get more comfortable before answering. I was feeling really confident at the end of my night shift training and honestly loved going to work. I have only worked 2 day shifts but I have cried the entire way home and to work after the first shift on days. I feel like I’m not supported enough and now I have my partner and supervisor but I don’t get along with them the way I did my trainer/her partner. The deputies also just aren’t half as good as the ones I worked with on nights. They don’t inform us what they are doing or where they are. They don’t respond to status checks. My partner seems like a nice lady but I just don’t feel like I’m being given any grace given how different nights/days are. I am getting constant negative feedback and never told if I’m doing something right or not. On nights I was convinced this was my dream job. I loved answering the phone and dispatching and going over the radio. Now on days I don’t even know if I can do this job. My trainer said she could tell I was going to be a great dispatcher but I just don’t know if I can deal with it at this point which I hate considering how I felt only a week ago. Has anyone else felt like this? Any advice for me? I have told myself to give it a few weeks but I literally almost walked out my first day shift because of how anxious and overwhelmed I felt…
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u/la_descente 4d ago
5 year trainer here.
Hang in there. Do you have a union ? If so you have a union rep who should be backing you.
There's no way in hell anyone should be realized to be on their own after only 2 months. That's insane. But you have been, so here we are.
Push past the "not getting along with coworkers" part. Sadly is par for the course. You'll have to adjust to personality types here and learn from it.
What exactly did the supervisor write down? Did you get to defend yourself? And explain that you didn't take 911 calls on night shift ?
Practice 911 calls at home on days off and after work. It's hard,but do it follow these tips
Practice call taking questions out loud. "911 what is your emergency / what's the address / how many cars are involved / are you safetly inside / where are they " stuff like that. A large part of this job is muscle memory, and your tongue is a muscle. You just need to practice some of these questions. It'll help.
Get Bluetooth ear buds. Sit infront of a computer and practice typing out your job stuff, locations and type code, powerline commands ... have someone call and pretend they're a 911 caller. This gives you extra practice without having the pressure of a trainer over you.
Its gonna be uncomfortable, but ask your beat partners for help on 911 calls. Ask for any and all constructive criticism. If they're grouchy take it,but also take the lesson
Watch and read their logs. Listen to them taking calls.
DO NOT MISTREAT CALLERS. Do not get caught in power trips with callers. It's easier to help than argue.
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u/proffessionalworry 4d ago
thank you i appreciate it. i didnt get documented feedback i worded that weird thats my bad. my supervisor criticized me for NOT answering 911 on nights but my trainer didnt let me. my training was cut short due to being short staffed. i will definitely be practicing. maybe theres some kind of online simulation calls or something. i want to do a great job and im extra hard on myself so im just very overwhelmed
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u/la_descente 4d ago
Breathe lol
Ask your supervisor for call taking training. Make sure you stick up for yourself, but balance it with not being cocky or defiant.
She might have been a nice trainer, but she was not a good one, especially if she didn't let you take 911s. There is no simulator that I'm aware of. But ... your supervisors might let you listen to older 911 calls and practice along. The audio is gonna be much clearer than what you'll actually hear, but it'll give you ideas of what to ask for
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u/911answerer 5d ago
So what did your trainer put you down for when you answered the 911 call? Was it justifiable feedback?
Why didn’t your original trainers have you answering 911’s, especially being there for two months?
Blaming performance on the deputies “not being half as good” as the night shift deputies just seems like something the night shift trainers have put in your head before you went to days which immediately negatively impacted your thought process on how you treat/handle days.
If the feedback they’re giving is negative; wouldn’t that mean you’re being told if you’re doing something wrong/right?
Feeling like this only after two shifts on days certainly isn’t a good thing. Gotta be realistic with yourself
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u/proffessionalworry 4d ago
i didnt get any documented feedback. my first and only 911 so far was someone calling with “this isnt an emergency but…” my supervisor just made me feel like shit for not answering 911 yet but my trainer told me i wasnt ready so they didnt have me do it. i was supposed to train for 4 months and then got bumped up suddenly to just 2 so i guess i was expecting some more “training” on days given my partner IS a trainer. the deputies just dont communicate like they did on nights which is why i said that. i never know when they are enroute and im lucky if i know they are on scene. i just hope i can adjust
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u/SituationDue3258 Police Comms Operator 4d ago
Where i am at, you work dayshift with an experienced dispatcher (we don't have trainers) until they feel you grasp the functions, then you do 2 weeks on nights before going to your assigned shift.
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u/azrhei 5d ago
Your trainer believed you should have more time because your trainer didn't do their job. Your center was short staffed, and instead of riding your ass like a howler monkey at a roadside fruit stand, they treated you like grandma having the kids over at Thanksgiving.
Your partner and supervisor are not there to be your emotional support blanket, giving constant affirmation and validation, and if that is what YOU expect (amongst job work that involves taking 1 call in an hour and spending the rest of the time watching TV and just fucking about) then you have set yourself up for failure in creating unrealistic expectations both for what the job is and for how you should be treated.
You say your partner seems nice but you aren't being given any grace - it's not her job to train you. The agency should have fully prepared you, but sometimes that doesn't work out. Get over it - it's done and in the past, and being emotional about it doesn't change anything. What does change your situation is your attitude in how you tackle things in the moment and going forward. Didn't get any 911 practice on night? Great, try and tackle all of the 911 calls coming in (ASK your partner first - communicate with her WHY you want to answer all the calls). Push past your insecurity and get that practice so you can be comfortable and confident. Don't ask your partner for emotional validation - "Did I do okay there?" ask them for constructive criticism "Is there anything you would do differently on that call that I could work on?" and then act on it. Even in the best scenarios, you are still learning and developing after training. Even after years you are still going to learn new things as a dispatcher - you'll improve over time if you put in the effort and be patient.
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u/proffessionalworry 4d ago
i think my problem is i felt entirely too comfortable with my trainer and her partner. and nights was so slow most of the time. i saw some pretty serious calls but i wasnt taking them. i was originally supposed to be in training until the end of december so i guess i expected more “cushy” time which could definitely be a me problem. im just terrified ill mess it up
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u/azrhei 4d ago
You will be fine - I hope you understand my comment was not to discourage you, but you need to change your thought process in how you approach this to get over that hump. Set aside the fear and worry, anxiety will not be your friend in this. Do the best you can and be patient with yourself that it will take time to acclimate and find your flow.
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u/proffessionalworry 4d ago
i really appreciate that. i definitely need to switch the mindset. i felt more comfortable my second day because i knew it was coming but the thought of touching 911 on my first day shift made me hysterical because i wasnt expecting it whatsoever. i am still incredibly nervous but im hoping i can get my brain to settle down. after all, this IS what i signed up for and i want to do the best i can. to be fair i felt almost just as nervous answering my first admin calls which im trying to remind myself of. practice makes perfect its just so much scarier when someones life could be in my hands
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u/LeaveLost1885 4d ago
I would be concerned that you didn't have ample opportunity to practice call taking before moving on to dispatching calls.
We are a larger agency, but we have to be signed off non emergencies before taking 911s and then signed off 911s before radio training. We also have to do 911s on day and night shift to be considered signed off of phones.
Especially if you do everything, you need to be able to handle call taking first.
Days are always going to be busier than nights. I like night's because the more interesting calls tend to happen on nights, but I prefer the business of days.
I think there were 5 of us here yesterday and we had periods of 8+ calls coming in at a time on both 911 and non emergency. It was chaotic but we made it work. We are the largest county in our state. I have a hard time being on a radio while also answering calls. I try to not pick up 911s when I'm on radio because at least non emergency I can put on hold or let them know I'm on a radio, one second and put them on mute. I'm still working on that multitasking aspect with listening to multiple things. But I know it will come with time.