Within the Trenches

wttNewLogoHello and welcome back to another episode of the Within the Trenches podcast. It has been about a month since the last episode and to keep it short, I have been all kinds of busy. Most of my time has been spent on work projects but I have also done a few side projects including logo design and web design. It has been fun because I love what I do but now that the main holidays are over I can get back to the show.

With that said I have been looking back at some of my earlier blog posts and I realized that many of you are probably unaware of these posts because they are buried within my blog. The posts contain many calls I’ve taken and I have decided to turn them into episodes. Now you won’t have to search for them and read them, you can simply listen to me read over the entries and fill you in on what I was thinking at the time.

I hope you enjoy this episode and as always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • An update of what I have been up to
  • Poo Guy story
  • Ride alongs
  • Robotic Domestic with Spam
Direct download: WTTEP77.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:39pm EDT

wttNewLogoWelcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a busy month! Since the last episode I have been training dispatchers on text FOR 911 platform textty. It has been a lot of fun though and I love what I do. On top of that I can officially say that the 911 Wellness Foundation and Within the Trenches are now strategic partners. What that means is that we are working together to reach a greater audience by utilizing each other’s outlets. I have also been talking with my co-host Whitney and we are going to plan on recording more episodes together via Skype. It has been a bit hard to do episodes together since I moved to Indiana but we are getting things planned out and I am very excited.

On today’s episode I had the chance to speak with Melinda and Patti of the 9-1-1 National Public Educator Forum (NPEF). This was a great episode to record and we had a lot to talk about. The topics ranged from how NPEF started, a PSA that was recorded at their most recent conference and a GoFundMe project involving a Cell Phone Sally app for smartphones.

This is a must listen episode so check it out and share! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com. See below for more information on NPEF and the links mentioned on the show.

Episode topics –

  • How NPEF started
  • How Patti/Melinda got involved w/NPEF
  • Conference history
  • Cell Phone Sally
  • And more 


 

 

NPEF Links -

9-1-1 National Public Educator Forum - Web | Facebook

 
 
Tell Them your Location PSA:
 
 
 
 
Cell Phone Sally Blog: http://cellphonesally.blogspot.com
 
Direct download: WTTEP76.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood morning and welcome to another episode of Within the Trenches. Today's episode is a must listen. In this episode we answer the question, "Who does 9-1-1 call when they need help?" To answer that question I spoke with Sherry, 9-1-1 Operations Supervisor, with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Chairman with the National Joint TERT Initiative for NENA along with Jeremy, a supervisor with the Emergency Communications Department of Monroe County out of Rochester NY and Chairman with the National Joint TERT Initiative for APCO. This episode is packed with information on TERT, the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce. Below you will find links on where to find them and how you can get involved. Make sure to listen and share this episode with everyone you know. 

As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics -

  • Intro to Sherry
  • Intro to Jeremy
  • TERT stories/dispatcher comradre 
  • Spread the word on TERT
Direct download: WTTEP75.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:24am EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is going to be the second and final episode recorded during the 9114911 conference held at the Naperville, Illinois Marriott. In this episode I got the chance to speak to Kelly, CEO of Success Communications Inc. She shared her vision of this one of a kind motivational conference geared towards the most important part of the 9-1-1 world, the true first first responders, the dispatchers. It was an excellent time and the first conference where I truly felt inspired to do more in the 9-1-1 community. 

This episode is a must listen so check it out and share it. As always if you have any questions or would like to be on the show you can send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Success Communications Inc. - Web | Facebook | Twitter

9114911 Conference - Web

Episode topics -

  • Kelly's vision
  • Speakers
  • Preparation for next year
Direct download: WTTEP74.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:55pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a couple of weeks since the last episode but I'm back so get ready! In this episode I sat down with Samantha, a dispatch supervisor with Fenton PD out of Michigan. The episode was recorded live from the 9114911 conference hosted by Success Communications Inc. Samantha was not only an attendee but she was also a speaker at the conference. Her presentation dealt with dispatcher wellness and specifically sitting at your console. The information she shared was excellent and informative. There will be another post coming up from Samantha herself where she will go more indepth with her presentation and her experience at the conference so stay tuned for that. You don't want to miss it. 

As always you can email the show with any questions or if you want to be a guest at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics -

  • Samantha's start in dispatch
  • Memorable calls
  • Wellness presentation
Direct download: WTTEP73.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:07am EDT

wttNewLogoHello everyone and welcome back to another awesome episode of Within the Trenches. I know it has been a while but I have had a lot going on. The past month or so I have been traveling non-stop for work and I recently moved to Fort Wayne Indiana. My schedule has been slammed but I have a lot coming up for the show. New episodes, announcements and fan page fun so get ready!

This episode was recorded about 3 weeks ago and is a mash up of the AudioVillains Podcast and Within the Trenches. The AudioVillains podcast is a show I do with my good friends Adam and Ed and it is all kinds of funny. But I have to warn you; we use adult language and humor so if you are not down with that then maybe you should skip this episode. If you are all about it then stay tuned for awesomeness.

As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • Ed and Adam bios from AudioVillains
  •  911 tape reactions
  • And more hijinks 
Direct download: WTTEP72.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:06pm EDT

wttNewLogoWelcome back to a brand new episode of Within the Trenches! It has been about a month since episode 70. I have been busy like you wouldn't believe but in no way am I letting this show go. I'm working harder than ever to bring you awesome content including more dispatch stories/highlights and continuing education. I could say everything here but it is all explained in this new episode so check it out and share and comment!

As always you can email the show with questions and if you want to be a guest at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Direct download: WTTEP71.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:34pm EDT

wttNewLogoWelcome back to another excellent episode of Within the Trenches. The show has reached episode 70 and I have to admit that when I first created this show I didn’t think I would reach a number this high. I have enjoyed every moment of this and I will continue to do the show until the 9-1-1 stories run out. This is also going to be the last episode in the 2014 National NENA Conference series.

In this episode I spoke with Stacy, a dispatcher with SERESA, a central dispatch for three cities within Macomb County in Michigan and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. The episode could not have gone any better and it was awesome speaking with Stacy.

This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • Stacy’s dispatch story
  • Taking non-emergency calls on emergency lines
  • Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship process
  • Side projects for continuing education
  • Stacy’s outlook on her future in the 9-1-1 community 
Direct download: WTTEP70.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:49am EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon and welcome to episode 69 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I had the pleasure of meeting with Richard, a telecommunicator with Mt. Juliet Police and Fire out of Tennessee and one of two nationally selected telecommunicators to receive the 9-1-1 Hero Award through PSTC/911 Cares. This was an excellent episode to record and we even hit an interesting moment around 27 minutes 16 seconds in where maintenance in the Music City Center were packing up displays and you can hear them as they walked past us. I had planned on taking it out but the noise wasn’t too bad. Our reactions to what was going on is funny as it is so I had to keep it in.

This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

 

Episode topics –

  • Richard’s dispatch story
  • Tunnel vision after a long shift in dispatch
  • Citizens academy and questions from the public
  • Back story and reaction on receiving the 9-1-1 Hero Award
Direct download: WTTEP69.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:58pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. In this episode my special guest host and wife Rebecca joined me, along with Rob, Director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana and National NENA North Central Region Director. This episode covers attendee feedback of the conference, text to 911 and three very funny 911 tapes. We even pay a second visit to Rob’s wrestling persona.

This is a must listen to make sure to check it out and share. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Episode topics –

  • Rob’s wrestling persona part 2
  • Attendee feedback
  • Text to 911
  • 3 911 tapes
Direct download: WTTEP68.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:16am EDT

wttNewLogoHealth in the dispatch center is a huge issue. Along with the massive amount of stress that the job offers there are also bad eating habits and minimal exercise opportunities while working. But what if there was something you could do about the exercise aspect of it? What if you had a treadmill or exercise bike attached to your console? Xybix, a dispatch furniture company has taken on the task of assisting in dispatchers’ health with the attachment of a treadmill or bike.

This past week I had the chance to meet with Kathleen, Director of Marketing with Xybix to talk about their product as well as try it out for myself on the showroom floor during the 2014 NENA National conference. In this episode we learn about the company as well as some facts and frequently asked questions about the treadmill and bike. The company also publishes blogs with health topics and techniques for the dispatch center.

This is a must listen and share! For more information on Xybix please follow the links below and as always, if you have any questions please email us at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Xybix – Web | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | YouTube

Episode topics –

  • Xybix history
  • Customer feedback
  • Treadmill facts
  • Xybix blogs
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Direct download: WTTEP67.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:31pm EDT

wttNewLogoThis is episode 66 of Within the Trenches and this is a special episode. Since the beginning of my show I have had people helping me out and giving me advice. One of those people is Mark Fletcher with Avaya. I’ve been on his podcast a few times and this time it was my turn to have him as a guest. Mark is the Chief Architect for Worldwide Public Safety Solutions at Avaya as well as the program director of the longest running Public Safety podcast on the Avaya Podcast Network. We sat down and talked all things 9-1-1 including NENA, ENP certification, Kari’s Law and more.

This is a must listen so check it out and share. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com and if you would like to learn more about Mark and Kari’s Law follow the links below.

Kari’s Law – Web (sign the petition at Change.org) | Facebook

Mark Fletcher/APN – Web | APN -E911 Podcast | Facebook | Twitter

Episode topics -

 

 

  • Mark's start in the 9-1-1 community
  • Mark's motivation to work hard to improve 9-1-1
  • Kari's Law
  • ENP certification
Direct download: WTTEP66.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:21pm EDT

wttNewLogoWelcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is episode 65 and I have to say right off the bat that there was an issue with this one. As you heard in episode 64 we had to redo the entire thing due to a subject who showed up and was drowning out the microphones. Some knobs were turned down and one of them was never turned back up so some audio is missing. I do apologize but it’s still an awesome one so check it out and share.

In this episode I spoke with Rob, Director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana and National NENA North Central Region Director and Lori, Training Coordinator with INdigital telecom. I have been trying to get Lori on an episode for a long time now and it killed me that her audio is missing but only until 11 or so minutes in. After that you can hear her and the stories are good.

As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • Rob’s wrestling  persona
  • Lori’s dispatch story (audio low)
  • Pregnancy calls
  • Text to 9-1-1
Direct download: WTTEP65.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:42pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon! This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital. I am currently in Nashville, TN for the 2014 National NENA Conference and this is just one of a series of episodes I’m recording here. In this episode I spoke with Dana, a dispatcher with Sumpter County Sheriff’s Office out of Florida and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. This is a must listen for anyone looking for information on not only the conference but how to apply for next years Friends of 9-1-1 scholarship. We also spoke briefly on the Mini-C that Dana attended back in April and the hard work that Tom of the Cool Kids of 9-1-1 puts into the conference.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.

The Cool Kids of 9-1-1 - Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Dana (Dispatch Dana) - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Episode topics -

Dana recap of the Mini-C

Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship Process

CMCP certification

Where Dana sees herself in 9-1-1

Drunk dial 9-1-1 tape (Thanks Justin!)

Direct download: wttep64.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:14pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood morning! This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital. I am currently in Nashville, TN for the 2014 National NENA Conference and this is the first of a series of episodes I’m recording here. In this episode I spoke with Brandy, a dispatcher with Licking County 911 Center out of Ohio and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. This is a must listen for anyone looking for information on not only the conference but how to apply for next years Friends of 9-1-1 scholarship.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.

 

 

Episode topics -

  • Brandy’s dispatch story
  • Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship process
  • Giving your name when speaking to someone you know on 9-1-1
  • Networking with other dispatchers
Direct download: wttep63.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:51am EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon and happy Friday! This episode will be the final episode from the Indiana NENA conference. It was an excellent time and I can’t wait for next year! In this episode I spoke with Jeanene and Kelsie, dispatchers with Vigo County Central Dispatch. This episode is as real as it gets. It’s a look at true stories as well as the humor that goes with the job. It’s not just about being great at what dispatchers do; it’s about the humor needed to make it through this very stressful job. I commend you both for the job you do and all the dispatchers I met in Indiana.

Make sure to listen, share and as always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com

Episode topics –

  • How Jeanene got her start
  • How Kelsie got her start
  • Dispatch calls
  • Domestic bedpan
  • Burglar ice pops
Direct download: WTTEP62.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:19pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon and welcome back to another awesome episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a pretty busy week with the announcement of Indiana's statewide text-to-9-1-1 plan  but I now have time so I'm posting a brand new episode from Indiana's NENA conference. In this episode I spoke with Jessica, a dispatcher / CTO with Kosciusko 9-1-1 Communications. Jessica was honored during the opening ceremony with a few others where she received the Teamwork Award. Jessica shares how she got started in 9-1-1, calls she's taken as well as the details of her teamwork award.

Make sure to check this out and share it. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics -

  • How Jessica got her start
  • Dispatch experience
  • Teamwork Award

 

Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP61.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:57pm EDT

wttNewLogoGood afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This episode brings us closer to the end of my time at Indiana’s NENA conference. My time there was inspiring, educational and I can’t wait for next year. The stories covered have been amazing and today’s episode is right up there with the best of them.

In this episode I had the chance to speak to Kimberly, a dispatcher/CTO with Jennings County 9-1-1, John, director with Jefferson County 9-1-1 and Nicole, Assistant Director with Montgomery County Communications Center. We reflected on the beginning of their careers along with some hard calls and advice/techniques on how to deal with them.

This is an episode you don’t want to miss! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • How each guest started in 9-1-1
  • Training techniques
  • Dealing with hard calls
  • The importance of attending a NENA conference
Direct download: WTTEP60.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:52pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWithin the Trenches is back with episode 59! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Julie, Deputy Director with Bartholomew 9-1-1 Center and Claudia who is a dispatcher with Fayette County Communications. We share stories of messing up on the mic, burnout and how to deal with hitting a rough patch and renewing your love for dispatch. 

This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com. 

Episode topics -

 

 

  • How Julie started in 9-1-1
  • How Claudia started in 9-1-1
  • Messing up on the mic
  • Burnout 
Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP59.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:23am EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWithin the Trenches is back with episode 58! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Amy, Amanda and Wendy, supervisors with Bartholomew County 9-1-1 Center. We look back at their start in 9-1-1, the classes they attended at the conference and we listened to a 9-1-1 tape that featured Wendy helping with the delivery of a baby girl.

This is an episode you do not want to miss! Listen, share and as always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • How each supervisor started in 9-1-1
  • Conference classes
  • 9-1-1 birth tape featuring Wendy
Direct download: WTTEP58.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:32pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWithin the Trenches is back with episode 57! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Heather and Kelly, dispatchers out of LaGrange County in Indiana and they received one of this years Team Work Awards. We look at how they got started in 9-1-1 and how they played a major part in a situation where a woman was taken hostage in Michigan and ended up in Indiana. The suspect was a prisoner who had escaped from custody out of Ionia County.

This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode topics –

  • How Heather got started in 9-1-1
  • How Kelly got started in 9-1-1
  • Team Work Award
  • News coverage
Direct download: WTTEP57.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:11pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWithin the Trenches is back with episode 55! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Rob, Director of Vigo County Central Dispatch and North Central Regional Director of National NENA and Terri, Director of Fayette County Communications, NENA Central Region Vice President and Director of Indiana APCO. We took a trip down memory lane while laughing until our stomachs hurt and our eyes watered and stung. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss so listen and share!

For more information on Indiana NENA please follow the links below. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com

Indiana NENA – Web | Facebook | Twitter

Episode topics -

  • How Rob started in 9-1-1
  • How Terri started in 9-1-1
  • NENA awards
  • Continuing education for 9-1-1 dispatchers
Direct download: WTTEP55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:04pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewHello everyone! Within the Trenches is back with episode 53 featuring Ed, the Director of Bartholomew County 9-1-1 Center and President of Indiana NENA. The show is recording on location from the Marriott East in Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Indiana NENA conference. In this episode Ed shares his dispatch experience, switching from dispatch to being an on the road state trooper and eventually becoming the director at Bartholomew. This is just one of several episodes coming up this week from the Indiana NENA conference so stay tuned for more.

This episode is sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital telecom. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com!

Episode topics -

  • Ed's start in dispatch and switch to law enforcement
  • Dispatch training
  • How officers would benefit from sitting in dispatch
  • Continuing education through NENA
Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP53.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:35pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewHello everyone! Within the Trenches is back with episode 52 featuring Jeff, the Director of Monroe County Central Dispatch and 1st Vice President for Indiana NENA. The show is recording on location from the Marriott East in Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Indiana NENA conference. In this episode Jeff shares his dispatch experience, the importance of continuing education, what the general public knows or doesn’t know about 9-1-1 and some advice to new and seasoned dispatchers. This is just one of several episodes coming up this week from the Indiana NENA conference so stay tuned for more.

This episode is sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital telecom. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com!

Episode topics -

 

 

  • Rising through the ranks 
  • Memorable dispatch moments
  • Continuing education through NENA
Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:16pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewHello everyone! Within the Trenches is back with episode 51 featuring David, the Director of Kosciusko 9-1-1 in Indiana. The show is recording on location from the Marriott East in Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Indiana NENA conference. In this episode David shares his dispatch experience and how he worked his way up to the position of director of his center. We also touch on text-to-9-1-1 and his experience thus far. This is just one of several episodes coming up this week from the Indiana NENA conference so stay tuned for more.

This episode is sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital telecom. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com!

Episode topics -

  • David - from dispatch to director
  • text-to-9-1-1
  • Why callers would rather text than call
Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:54pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWithin the Trenches is back with episode 50! The show has come a long way since the Kickstarter campaign. Whitney and I have spoken to dispatchers, leaders and educators within the dispatch community. The show has also been present for different conferences and the first one was last year at the Mini-C conference in Boca Raton Florida.

Tom with the Cool Kids of 9-1-1 invited the show to be there on one of the days to do interviews. The hospitality was excellent, the people were awesome and inspiring and I can’t thank Tom enough for the invite and exposure. This year the Mini-C will be on April 7th – 11th from 0800 – 1700 and one of the dispatchers attending this year is our special guest on today’s episode.

In this episode I spoke with Dana from Sumter County Sheriff’s Department. She shared her dispatch experience with me as well as her experience at last years Mini-C. This year she will be attending all week and will be posting on her social media outlets as the conference goes on so make sure to check her out at the links below. Dana also had a spotlight feature with Public Safety Communications and you can find the link below as well. This is a must listen episode so make sure to listen, share and check her out!

As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com!

The Cool Kids of 9-1-1 – Web | Facebook

Dana – Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Article spotlight

Tweet Hastags for the Mini-C - #MiniC2014 #CoolKidsof911

Episode topics –

  • Text to 9-1-1 platform texTTY
  • How Dana got into dispatching
  • Dana’s dispatch experience
  • The Mini-C conference
Direct download: WTTEP50.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:22pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWoo! Within the Trenches Podcast is back with episode 49 and I would like to welcome back Whitney! She has been gone for some time and rather than spoil the surprise I will let you go ahead and listen to her reveal it. In this episode we share some personal stories along with what happened on my trip to Marquette Michigan for work. It was an awesome experience and I can't wait to go back. Towards the end we touch on Kari's Law and future episodes. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com and follow the links below to 'Like' Kari's Law on Facebook and sign the petition on Change.org. 

Kari's Law - Facebook | Change.org

 

 

Episode topics -

  • Whitney's reveal
  • Marquette or Bust
  • Future guests/topics
  • Kari's Law
Direct download: WithintheTrenchesEP49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:46pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewWelcome to a brand new episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a very busy week but I'm back! In this episode I sat down with Missy and Greg of Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA.) I met them during a training session a few weeks ago and I was impressed with them as well as the rest of the dispatchers and agency as a whole. We shared stories about their career, what High Performance EMS stands for and what it takes to run the agency. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com and don't forget to check below for links to our podcast promotion featuring, highperfomanceems.com. 

Also remember that tomorrow is the day that the No 9 Needed campaign asks that you change your social media profile pictures to the No 9 Needed logo in support of Kari's Law. For more information on Kari's Law please follow this link

High Performance EMS - Web | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

Episode topics -

  • Missy's beginning
  • Greg's beginning
  • What is High Performance EMS
  • An overview of TRAA
  • What it takes to dispatch
Direct download: WTTEP48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:41pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewGood afternoon and this is episode 47 of Within the Trenches. It has been a couple of weeks since the last episode and I couldn’t wait any longer so I decided to record an episode. I wanted to keep it light so I pulled some 9-1-1 calls from YouTube. I pulled a couple from a channel that belongs to AmericanPride1234 and they are awesome! If you get the chance make sure to check out the channel and subscribe. I have been pretty busy with work lately and one of the weeks I was on the road I got very sick. I made sure to share the story so I hope you enjoy it.

There are more new episodes coming up so stay tuned! As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com

Episode topics –

  • Stomach bug on the road
  • 9-1-1 tapes –
  • Kid calls 911 for help with math
  • Guy calls 911 for pot question
  • Guy gets junk stuck in pump
  • Joe vs. Deer 911 call
Direct download: WTTEP47.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:49pm EDT

podcastfeedLogoNewToday’s episode of Within the Trenches touches on the topic of stress and physical and mental issues in 9-1-1. As 9-1-1 dispatchers, we have heard it all. We have taken every call from the most ridiculous to the most horrific. If you’re like me, the calls that involve children are the ones that affect you most. I once took a call from a nine-year-old girl who had come home from school and found her mom passed out in the living room. She told me that her mom was not moving and her face was blue. I told her how to do CPR and she did it the best she could until help arrived. Although she did a great job her mom had already passed. She had had an overdose and died long before her daughter got home. I remember the little girl being scared but never lost it. Maybe it was the shock of the situation. Whatever it was, it’s a call I’ll never forget.

Towards the end of my dispatch career I began to feel burnt out. I enjoyed my job but the politics, long hours, workplace drama and stress began to eat at me. It’s something that people don’t understand unless you have done the job. The stress can be so great that some dispatchers have crashed and burned. How come no one, other than the dispatchers themselves, have noticed or addressed this? It’s something that wasn’t out there before but within the past year there have been numerous news articles covering the constant stress and physical and mental state of 9-1-1 dispatchers.

Whitney and I have done episodes in the past about CISM and EMDR but I wanted to do another one. In this episode I spoke with Michelle, assistant professor with Northern Illinois University who has been doing research on 9-1-1 dispatchers for the past few years concentrating on mental and physical health. There is a lot to learn in this episode. There was so much we could touch on that we are going to do a second episode to cover the rest. Michelle’s research is ongoing and if you would like to participate you can do so by clicking the link below. There is also a description. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.

911 Telecommunicators Study -

We are currently looking for participants to enroll in our current studies. We are recruiting experienced TCs (at least one year of experience as a TC) and they can be currently working, have left the occupation, or retired from the job.  Experienced TCs can complete a 1.5-2 hour survey online that they complete in multiple sittings. We are also doing follow up surveys that are much shorter (45 minutes) at 6 months and 12 months after the first survey. For each survey completed, the TC gets entered for a chance to win one of two $100 cash prizes. There will be three drawings - one after we're finished collecting the baseline survey, one after we're done collecting the 6 month survey, and one after the 12 month survey. The survey is hoping to get a good estimate of the psychological and physical health complaints of TCs and is a follow up to the pilot project. We're also hoping to understand much more about what predicts poor health over time for this population.

We also hope to enroll trainees. They just have to be within their first 4 months of training. These participants complete a 1.5-2 hour survey and get $30 for completing it, as well as a chance to win one of two $100 cash prizes. In addition, we do shorter follow up surveys (45 min in length) and hold drawings for each of the subsequent time points that a trainee completes the survey. We hope that they will stay enrolled, even if they do not complete training or leave the job. The survey is looking at factors that predict adverse mental health and job attrition over time to help improve training efforts, hiring practices, and telecommunicator well-being.

Episode topics –

  • Blue Mazda call
  • Michelle’s intro and research interest
  • What elements contribute to PTSD
  • And more
Direct download: WTTEP46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:37am EDT

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