Good evening folks! It’s about 00:39hrs and I am finally getting the chance to post episode 5. This episode was not only fun but it was extra special. Announcements were made, thank you’s were given and there was a special guest. First off this is an open invitation for any emergency services dispatcher in any state or country that would like to take part in this show. On behalf of my new co-host Whitney and I, we would love for you to be a guest. This show is all about you and your story. It doubles as a form of public education but really, this is a way for you to express what 9-1-1 means to you and so that you can share your experience on this unique job.

This week on Within the Trenches, a special guest dropped in. That guest was WZZM 13′s own Angela Cunningham. She dropped in to do a story on Within the Trenches and even sat in on episode 5. We touched on how the show is evolving, funny and odd moments during 9-1-1 calls and how some people need to drive a little slower when driving in snow. We also touched on the fact that we were bridging the gap between dispatch and the media. On top of that there was also the announcement that after the giveaway the official t-shirts for Within the Trenches would be up for sale. This episode turned out great so check it out! If you haven’t already make sure to get qualified for the Jabber Log & Threadsy t-shirt giveaway! As always you can email any suggestions, requests or if you want to be on the show to thejcast@thejabberlog.com.

Good evening folks! Within the Trenches is back with episode 4 and boy have we picked up some steam since the beginning. This week I had the chance to sit down with Barry County, an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (PSAP) & AeroMedical Service Controller from Dublin, Ireland. Yes, you read that right. Barry had some excellent stories that I’m sure you will enjoy and we talked about how I was confused in the beginning with his name. I originally received a message from him on his interest in the show and being a guest. I thought he was…well I’ll save it for you to hear because it’s quite funny and I don’t want to ruin it. We touched on how social media has put major incidents in the hands of the media in seconds due to everyone having a smartphone and how the agency he works at is working on something to stop people from listening to their radio channels.

This episode is a must listen and if you didn’t already know, we have partnered up with Threadsy for a t-shirt giveaway. Check out our site for details or head over to our Facebook page. A big thanks goes out to Mark Fletcher of Avaya/E911 Talk Podcast and Spyder Harrison of SiriusXM Hits 1 for doing the intro and outro of the show. I appreciate it more than you know and as always you can email me your suggestions or if you want to be on the show at thejcast@thejabberlog.com.

Good afternoon folks! I hope everyone is having a great day. This week on Within the Trenches I sat down with Trista of Allegan County Central Dispatch to tell her story. We talked about how she got into the profession of emergency services as well as how callers can screw up her name. We touched on the many questions we ask and how the night shift of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. can bring horror over the radio. “SHOTS FIRED” is something we never want to hear yelled over the radio but it comes with the job. We describe two incidents that occurred and how we felt during those calls. This is a must listen and make sure to comment. For up to date information on new episodes and more from Within the Trenches, please ‘Like’ Jabber Log on Facebook. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes or stream it 24/7 on Stitcher. As always if you have any questions or if you would like to be on the show, you can email me at thejcast@thejabberlog.com. Cheers!

http://www.thejabberlog.com/2013/01/16/within-the-trenches-episode-3/

Good afternoon everyone! The past couple days have been a whirlwind. I mean this in the greatest way possible too! Within the Trenches was the basis of my Kickstarter project and yesterday, with 38 hours to spare on the campaign, the project was fully funded. That’s right folks, the project was funded and has surpassed its goal. It happened almost overnight and I can’t tell you how happy I am. Support came out of the woodwork and once it was said and done I jumped for joy, literally. I threw my arms up and yelled, “Woo hoo!” My 16 month old daughter Lola threw her arms up and squealed in excitement.

The outpour of support showed me that this is going to be an important show. It’s something that people want to hear and I am going to do everything in my power to make that possible. Your support for this project gives me a giant leap toward the overall goal. For those who are unaware, the project of Within the Trenches is based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. This will be done in the format of a podcast and it will highlight those that do the job and tell their story. It’s time to recognize the first “first responders” and that’s what I intend to do. Thank you so much to everyone who pledged and believed in this project. For those who pledged for rewards, those will be taken care of in the weeks to come. Please look out for an email from me soon. So, without further ado, I present to you the second episode of Within the Trenches. May you learn a lot from us; the Unsung Hero’s of emergency services.

Good evening folks! I am very happy to announce that the first episode of Within the Trenches went live today. My good friend Whitney joined me and I have to say that it went great. For those who don’t know what Within the Trenches is, this is a podcast version of a segment with the same name on Jabber Log that revolves around 9-1-1 dispatch. I started writing about my experience about a year ago and it was meant to be interesting and educational for the readers, as well as therapeutic for myself. The posts have done great on my blog and I wanted to take it a step further by creating a podcast based on the stories of 9-1-1 dispatchers.

I recently launched a Kickstarter project for this podcast idea in order to raise $1,500 to buy the equipment needed to make this a four person show. As of right now I have 8 days left in the campaign and $330. This first episode is a taste of what this show is all about and it is my hope that I can still make my goal. I will provide the link below to the Kickstarter page where you can pledge and depending on how much you pledge, you can get a reward as well. Right now the majority of the pledges are going for $25 and that can get you an official Within the Trenches t-shirt, a thank you on the sponsor page and a mention in one of the upcoming episodes of the show. I hope you will enjoy this first episode and there is a lot more to come. Thanks again to Whitney and everyone who has pledged to help bring the project closer to it’s goal.