Ep 142 features Erin, Communications Specialist at Loveland Emergency Communications out of Colorado and the 2017 IAED Dispatcher of the Year.
In this episode we take a trip down memory lane with Erin as she talks about her early 9-1-1 career to present day. She shares stories including one from when she was training and took her first 9-1-1 call with her trainer and when she answered she added a few "1's" to 9-1-1. She also shares her call and experience that lead to her becoming the 2017 IAED Dispatcher of the Year.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about the IAED follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ep 141 features Ryan Dedmon, Outreach Director with the 911 Training Institute and creator of the popular blog Operation 10-8.
In this episode I finally got the chance to not only have Ryan on an episode where we are face-to-face but we finally met after almost a year of talking online. Ryan explains the reasons why the 9-1-1 Wellness Foundation closed its doors and what's new in the world of the 9-1-1 Training Institute.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about the IAED and the 9-1-1 Training Institute follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ep 140 features Ty, Director of Education with NENA and Lisa, Education Instructor for NENA.
In this episode we follow Lisa through every rank in dispatch she held up and to the point that she left to become an instructor. Both Lisa and Ty share 9-1-1 stories from their career and let us in on what's new at NENA and their upcoming annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about the IAED and NENA follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ep 139 features the CEO and Public Relations Director of Uivo, Emily and David. Uivo is the only fast and secure emergency contact system for personal property that works directly with public safety dispatch centers. In this episode we learn about how both Emily and David got into public safety. Emily has a background in 9-1-1 dispatch and David is a current firefighter and paramedic. Emily's experience in the 9-1-1 world was an inspiration to the development of Uivo.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about Uivo and the IAED follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ep 138 features Christine, dispatch supervisor with Waukesha, Wisconsin and Drew, manager of EMS and flight communications of Columbia City, Indiana. In this episode we follow Christine and Drew as they reflect on their careers and how they got there. Stories are shared along with moments of clarity and realization that this job is not just a job but a life long career.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about the IAED follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ep 137 features Ethan, a dispatcher out of NC & Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship Recipient & Daphanie, dispatcher and past guest out of FL and she is also one of the Within the Trenches Podcast Facebook Page Admins. In this episode we follow Ethan's journey into medical dispatching as well as stories from his career. As a first timer to the IAED's NAVIGATOR conference he touches on his experience and Daphanie lends some insight on the conference, networking and a few of her personal 9-1-1 stories.
This is a must listen so please check it out and share it. To learn more about the IAED follow the links below. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
This is a special episode that you don't want to miss. In this episode my wife Rebecca joins me to chat about what it was like for her during my time working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Not many people know this but as a dispatcher you miss out on all kinds of family time. You will more than likely work days, nights, weekends, holiday's and some people work forced overtime. This episode is an #IAM911 story, but from the spouses side.
As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode 134 of Within the Trenches features Caroline Burau, 12 year 9-1-1 dispatch veteran and author of Answering 911: Life in the hot seat and Tell me exactly what happened. In this episode Caroline talks about how she got into dispatching, 9-1-1 calls that stuck with her, her inspiration for writing and much more! I also make an announcement that I have been holding back for some time and it's an amazing one. This episode is one you don't want to miss so please listen and share. Below you will find some links to Caroline's social media and website.
As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode 133 of the podcast features Kaylyn, a 9-1-1 dispatcher & content creator out of Northern California. She is the creator of the popular YouTube channel Youmarriedme. In this episode Kaylyn shares her 9-1-1 story along with her inspiration for Youmarriedme. One of her stories left me speechless. It's a powerful one that you don't want to miss! Below you will find links to her social media outlets.
As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches is back with episode 132! After this website being down for almost a week it is back up and iTunes subscriptions are up and running again too. In this episode I spoke with Mary the Deputy Director of Macecom out of Washington State and also the author of a very popular article "Dispatch on the Brain" for The Journal through the IAED. We visit her personal 9-1-1 journey, calls she has taken and much more.
This is a must listen! As always if you have any questions, comments or you want to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. Also make sure to check the links below. Macecom is currently hiring and please go to Macecom's Facebook page and like them. Mary's article is also listed along with the link to 911ceu.com.
Imagine you’re watching television, enjoying your day and a breaking news flash comes on. You see law enforcement in a shootout with two heavily armed men during a bank heist. You are shock at the sight of it. Now imagine you’re 911, experiencing this first-hand with your brothers and sisters who are there, giving their lives. You listen as they yell for assistance, and...“Shots fired!”
Episode 131 - Imagine Listening features the stories of the #IAM911 movement. This episode also features radio traffic recordings courtesy of the 911dispatch.com tape library on the North Hollywood bank heist shootout that occurred February 28, 1997. This year marks the 20th anniversary of that incident. Two men, heavily armed and wearing body armor were in a shootout with law enforcement for nearly 44 minutes. In the end, the only fatalities were the suspects.
This is a must listen! As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. If you have an #IAM911 story to share, use the same email or send a message to the Facebook podcast page or Twitter account.
Ep 130 features April, Industry Affairs Specialist with INdigital and former 911 Director with Eaton County 911 out of Michigan along with Larry, Director of Sales and Marketing with INdigital and former Reserve Officer with Hudsonville PD out of Michigan. In this episode we share dispatch stories and listen to 9-1-1 calls.
This is a must listen! As always if you have any questions, comments or if you want to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode topics -
April's 9-1-1 story
Suicide call April took
Larry's public safety start
911 Tapes -
Tape 1 - CPR - In July 2009 a Charleston County (SC) woman suffered a cardiac arrest at home, and her husband dialed 911 for help. Dispatcher Melissa gave him CPR instructions, and he performed for six minutes until EMS units arrived. His wife Christine survived.
Tape 2 - In July 2009 a Boca Raton couple were attacked by a “crazy” fox, and they used a PVC pipe to club the animal to death. Michael and Dani dialed 911 for help. Oddly, 10 minutes later a raccoon attacked a person several blocks away.
Tape 3 - In Nov. 2009 a 4 year-old girl in Charles County (Md.) dialed 911 for help when her mother became ill. Child gave dispatcher information that allowed EMS units to quickly arrive and treat her mother’s diabetic emergency.
Tape 4 - In July 2007 two elephants from a visiting circus wandered past their electric-fence enclosure and into the neighborhoods of Newmarket (Ont., Canada) to graze on grass and trees. A group of people walking home spotted the elephants and dialed 911 to report their sighting to a surprised dispatcher. The elephants were rounded up without incidents.
Tape 5 - In May 2010 a Northport (Fla.) woman dialed 911 to complain about her pizza order. Caller acknowledged the call wasn’t an emergency, but still complained.
Tape 6 - In Nov. 2010 a Puyallup (Wash.) woman dialed 911 from a closet after hearing someone break into her home mid-morning. Puyallup PD dispatcher Dorene answered the call and expertly asked questions and reassured the caller.
*** Tape credit goes to my good friend Gary of 911dispatch.com for allowing me to use his library for the podcast. RIP sir and I will be forever grateful to you. ***
Ep 129 of the podcast features Jerry, Chair of the Board of Accreditation for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, the organization charged with setting standards, establishing curriculum, and conducting research for public safety dispatch worldwide and Mike, who is the Digital and Social Media Content Editor of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. In this episode we share medical dispatch stories, learn about the IAED and their upcoming 2017 NAVIGATOR conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. They will be featuring the podcast at the conference and I will be giving a class called, "Keep Broadcasting Your Message."
The Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship is up and the IAED and I are going to be pushing it hard. The deadline is February 15, 2017 and it's an opportunity that you do not want to miss out on. Below you will find out what you can get from the scholarship and a link on where to apply. As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship - Web
Imagine waking up on Saturday. The sky is blue and the sun is shining bright. You lean over to wake your husband. He doesn’t move. You turn him over and notice his lips are blue…you check him…no pulse. Your heart breaks…he’s gone. Now imagine you are 9-1-1, listening to the screams and wails of a wife who has lost her best friend and husband. She requests CPR instructions but you know it’s too late. This is what it’s like, Within the Trenches.
In this episode we will visit the #IAM911 movement, a movement I started to fight the reclassification of dispatchers from clerical to protective and bring awareness to the types of calls that 9-1-1 dispatchers answer on a daily basis.
Now…you heard the warning at the beginning but I must warn you again and add that if you suffer from PTSD or have suicidal tendencies you are listening at your own risk. The stories you are about to hear are all true and come from the dispatchers who lived them.
While some stories have a good outcome, the majority are horrifying. This is our reality. Your worst day is our every day.
So let’s start with a bang.
I want you to imagine each story. Become the dispatcher who has taken each call and imagine listening…
Episode 127 features show regular Rob "Big Mac" McMullen, Director of Vigo County 9-1-1 in Indiana and 1st VP of NENA. In this episode we talk about those unwanted stomach issues in dispatch. The ones that attack when a high priority call comes in and you are unable to get up to use the bathroom. It happens to some more often then you would think. We also play a few 9-1-1 tapes that you don't want to miss. They come from the archive of 911dispatch.com. Thank you and R.I.P. Gary. I will forever be grateful to you for your help and kindness.
Episode 128 and 129 are also coming up where 128 will be the second installment of Imagine Listening, an extension of the podcast featuring the stories of the #IAM911 movement. 129 will feature the IAED and the 2017 Navigator conference. There is a lot more to come so don't miss out!
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 -
Medical issues in dispatch
Pootastic dispatch stories
Tape 1 - Naughty kids
Tape 2 - Lady wants officer to come back to her home
Episode 126 is different from the rest. It's the introduction to Within the Trenches - Imagine Listening, an extension of the podcast featuring stories from the #IAM911 movement. What you are about to hear are true stories. While some have good outcomes, the majority are horrifying. A warning...if you suffer from PTSD or have suicidal tendencies this episode may be a trigger. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK.
This episode also touches on PTSD in 9-1-1 dispatch and a look at the dark humor that comes with the job. A shout out goes to Dave, Tim and Amy of Darkness Radio for having me on their show. Below you will find links to my interview and a shout out to Mike of Sword & Scale for having me on episode #82 of his podcast. As always if you have any questions or want to be a guest on show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship - Web
Episode 125 features an interview with Kyle, a 9-1-1 dispatcher with Montgomery County Central Communications Center out of Indiana. He shares his 9-1-1 story and a recent call that follows a tragedy involving a mother who murdered her own children, stabbed herself in the neck but lived. She has been charged with two counts of murder and so far, has pleaded not guilty. This is an episode you don't want to miss. This is also part of the season finale of the Sword & Scale podcast.
As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
This is a short episode on the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship in association with the IAED, a recap of stories told in Ep. 123 and a shout out to Sword & Scale, an addicting true crime podcast that you must check out! I helped out on episode 82, their season finale and it is horrific! Per Mike, "DO NOT LISTEN TO EPISODE 82!"
As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship - Web
This episode features four of my personal #IAM911 movement stories. They are the stories that started it all and now they have more of an explanation to them. Enjoy, share and make sure to check out the IAED links below as well as the information on the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship.
As always if you have any questions, comments or you want to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches episode 122 is sponsored by INdigital, a leader in Next-Gen Core Services. This episode features Jennifer, a dispatcher with Ogle County Sheriff’s Office out of Illinois and show regular Rob 'Big Mac' McMullen, director with Vigo County, Indiana and 1st VP of NENA. Jennifer shares her 9-1-1 story, we visit a tragic homicide case out of Montgomery County, Indiana and we share some updates on the #IAM911 movement, decals and the IAED/Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship. This is a must listen so check it out and share!
As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship Registration - Web
Episode topics -
Update on inner ear issue and vertigo
Update on vinyl decals
Update on #IAM911 and Project #IAM911
Update on IAED and Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship
Welcome to episode 121 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I had the opportunity to speak with Bailey, a Dispatcher and Corrections Officer with Mountrail Sheriff’s Department out of North Dakota. She is also a singer and songwriter and released a song based on her experience as a 9-1-1 professional back in April of 2016. The song was submitted as an #IAM911 movement post and is a must listen. Bailey shares her story in this episode along with her song. Below are links to her music and social media.
This episode also highlights the 2017 Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship that will help send a 9-1-1 professional to the IAED - 2017 NAVIGATOR conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a great opportunity so don't miss out! As always, if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome back to another great episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. In this episode I go solo and update everyone on major happenings with the podcast, the #IAM911 movement, Project #IAM911 and the recent announcement on my collaboration with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED.) I also share an audio #IAM911 story from Donita, a 9-1-1 professional, as well as a video I put together as a glimpse into the stories that make up the movement.
This is an episode you don't want to miss. There is an important message about the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship that will be pushed out soon for the IAED's 2017 Navigator conference so make sure to listen in. Make sure to check out the links below and as always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode topics -
Recent conference attendance
Adam Timm - The Healthy Dispatcher class
#IAM911 movement update
Project #IAM911 update
IAED collaboration update
An #IAM911 audio story by Donita
The #IAM911 Movement - Video in audio form
And more
International Academies of Emergency Dispatch - Facebook | Twitter | Web
An #IAM911 audio story by Donita, a 9-1-1 professional
The #IAM911 Movement - Created by Ricardo Martinez II, Host and Creator of Within the Trenches and Founder of the #IAM911 Movement
Welcome to episode 119 or 9-1-1 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I had the chance to speak with Brianna, deputy director with Benton County Office of Emergency Communications in Arkansas and show regular, Rob “Big Mac” McMullen, director of Vigo County out of Indiana and 1st VP of NENA. We recorded live from the Hilton in Columbus, Ohio for the NENA Standards and Best Practices Conference as well as the Critical Issues Forum. This episode was a lot of fun to record and we covered a lot of topics so please make sure to check it out and share.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome back to Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. In this episode I finally got the chance to speak to Ryan, who serves with the 911 Wellness Foundation as well as a consultant for the 911 Training Institute and runs the blog and social media outlets for Operation 10-8. This has been about 2 years in the making but it was worth the wait. Also on the podcast is Lloyd, a previous guest on the show and a police dispatcher in Western Canada. This was a lot of fun to record.
As always, if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show email wttpodcast@gmail.com. Below you will find links for both Ryan and Lloyd's blogs and more.
Welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Today is September 15th, 2016 and there are only 5 days left until the ability to submit a public comment closes. The #IAM911 movement has raised all kinds of awareness on the issue of reclassification for Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs) from "clerical" to "protective", but most of all the awareness of what PSTs go through on a day to day basis. The support from the Thin Gold Line, the public, those on the road, industry partners and those in Office has been amazing!
With that said, episode 117 has a special guest. In this episode I spoke with a former Public Safety Telecommunicator and currently the U.S. Representative for California’s 35th District, Congresswoman Norma Torres. This was a lot of fun to record. She shared stories from her time in dispatch up to her current position in Congress. She recently sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in reference to their decision to reject the reclassification proposal started by APCO International. It was an honor to have her on the podcast and below you will find a link to the letter she sent to the OMB, her social media and links to where you can provide information to APCO International and NENA for public comment.
We only have 5 days left so let's push it! Continue to share your stories and go to the websites below and submit your public comment. As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks and instead of boring you with text on this post I would like for you to listen to this episode with guest Jamison, Director of Weakly County 9-1-1 & is the Emergency Management Director as well as an ENP and 2nd VP of NENA and share it on social media. In this episode we take a deep dive look at the reclassification issue.
As always if you have any comments, questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. To see what you can do to help NENA's push for reclassification follow the link below. Also if you have not done so make sure to check out the t-shirts for the #IAM911 movement.
Welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. A lot has happened in the past week. On August 24th 2016 I started the #IAM911 movement, which is an effort to assist in the reclassification of Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs) from "clerical" to "protective." Both APCO International and NENA are pushing to get this passed. Public comments are open until September 20th 2016 (In the episode I mention the 16th and at the end the 20th. The 20th is the right day.)
The part of the public comments that interested me was the request for stories to show how we differ from commercial dispatchers and clerical workers. I felt that it was necessary to share stories as proof that PSTs are completely different. I shared a few stories and asked for others to share and the movement exploded. It has gone global and dispatchers everywhere are joining the movement to assist the reclassification push as well as bring to light what PSTs go through on a daily basis.
This episode has much more so please check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. Also remember to check out APCO International and NENA below to see where you can submit your public comments. If you want to join the #IAM911 movement you may do so by sharing a story by meme, text or video, remember to use #IAM911 at the end and submit it to Within the Trenches on Facebook or Twitter.
Good morning and welcome to episode 114 of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. A lot has happened since the last episode and instead of boring you with text I will let you get to this episode. Check out the topics below and make sure to listen and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show you can email us at wttpodcast@gmail.com.
With all of the B.S. going on in the world right now I thought I would do a funny episode with the always epic Rob "Big Mac" McMullen. In this episode we share some personal stories along with a few funny 9-1-1 tapes. A big thanks goes out to the person who hooked me up with the tapes. They are awesome and shows what we deal with in dispatch. It's definitely light hearted and if you are looking for a laugh then make sure to check this out and share!
As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Episode 112 features Jordon, a dispatcher and CTO out of Colorado and this episode is kind of a behind the scenes look at the voiceover work for the podcast. It’s a funny one and towards the end we talk about marijuana, Colorado’s legalization, edibles and how they pertain to 9-1-1.
It was a funny episode to record and I hope you enjoy it. As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to an all new episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. In this episode I spoke with the first recipient of the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship. Her name is Leslie, a Telecommunicator, CTO and 2016 recipient of the Mary Antley Telecommunicator of the Year Award. She dispatches out of New Hanover County in North Carolina and it was an honor to have her on the show. We recorded live from the Indiana Convention Center for the 2016 National NENA Conference & Expo. This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services.
I was given an opportunity three years ago to bring my newly created podcast to the National NENA conference in Charlotte North Carolina. It changed my life in so many ways. I told my wife that one day I would pay it forward and I did that by creating a scholarship that would send a dispatcher to the national conference. There is so much to say about Leslie but I would rather you hear her story in her own words. Once again it was an honor to have her on the show and I see big things coming in her future. Keep doing what you do!
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to an all new episode of Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. In this episode I spoke with dispatchers from Indiana with the code names of Maverick and Phoenix. We recorded live from the Indiana Convention Center for the 2016 National NENA Conference & Expo. This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services.
This episode is hilarious and I can't even start to explain the stories we told but it was a good time and if you are looking for a good laugh make sure to listen and share. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Within the Trenches is back with episode 109 and you don't want to miss this one. I got the chance to speak with three great individuals including Greg with Van Buren County 9-1-1 along with Jim and Dee Ann of the 9-1-1 Wellness Foundation. We had a great time recording this episode of the show but we also learned a lot. In this episode we shared several stories and Jim talked about his class at the 2016 Michigan NENA conference as well as what the foundation is currently working on for the national conference and future endeavors.
This was an extra special episode for me since it marked 3 years since I made my podcast debut as well as conference speaking debut at Michigan NENA 2013. I recorded episodes with great people that year including Jim and Dee Ann and afterward I was advised that I would be doing the podcast at the national show in North Carolina. I remember standing there in shock at everything that was happening and Jim pulled me aside, put his arm around me and said,
"This is how it starts, it's where your change begins."
I will never forget that day. Thank you to everyone who helped me in the beginning and to those who continue to help and believe in what I am doing. I love doing what I do! If you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Good evening and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This past week I was in Lansing, Michigan for the 2016 Michigan NENA conference. It could not have gone any better. I got the chance to catch up with old friends and met a lot of new ones. It was great to see all of you and it was especially nice to see the crew from Van Buren County 9-1-1, Greg, Mike and Jennifer. It had been a while since I last saw them but we fell right back into it when we recorded this together.
In episode 108 we visit our first calls, suicide by gun, domestic violence and spam. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! 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 -
First calls
How the crew of Van Buren County 9-1-1 started dispatching
Within the Trenches is back! Episode 107 is sponsored by INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In this episode I sat down with my brother Fernando to tell some personal stories that include a possible UFO sighting and a 9-1-1 tape of those sightings. A shoutout goes to OpenMinds - UFO News and Investigations for the short story and the audio. Also the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch decals are available for purchase so get yours while you can! Another shoutout goes to Heather of Absolute Photography in Holland, MI for assisting with the first few orders of vinyl decals. You do amazing work and if anyone is looking for vinyl Heather is your top choice!
This episode is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to
episode 106 of Within the Trenches! This episode is sponsored by
Indiana NENA and INdigital, a leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In
this episode I sat down with the ladies of Vigo County 9-1-1
Indiana and it was epic! Joining me was dispatchers, Chelsey,
Kelsie, Heather and Hanna along with their director Rob "Big Mac"
McMullen. There are so many different topics on here that I can't
even begin to talk about it. You have to listen to it to
understand.
This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share it
up! As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest
on the show you can email the show at
wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Recording live
from the 2016 Indiana NENA/APCO Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana
it's episode 105 of Within the Trenches, sponsored by Indiana NENA
and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. This episode is
entitled "Open Mic". My guest list consists of show regular Rob,
Nicole, Assistant Director of Montgomery County, Lindsey,
dispatcher with Fulton County and the audience/attendees of the
conference. This was the first time I have ever done a podcast with
a live audience and it turned out amazing! We tell all kinds of
funny stories and some of them may make you blush. There is a
warning in the beginning so listen and remember, you have been
warned.
This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As
always if you have any questions or if you want to be a guest on
the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Recording
live from the 2016 Indiana NENA/APCO Conference in Indianapolis,
Indiana it's episode 104 of Within the Trenches, sponsored by
Indiana NENA and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In
this episode, show regular, Rob "Big Mac" McMullen joined me
to talk about anything and everything we could think of. I can't
even begin to mention what all we talked about but shout outs go to
Leah of Grand Traverse, Smart911, the graphic design talents of
Rizzo and the 911 Wellness Foundation.
This is a must listen so check it out, share and share again. As
always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the
show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to Within the Trenches and this is episode 103. This episode is sponsored by INdigital - A leader in Next Gen Core Services.
Last week for episode 102 I spoke with Lloyd out of Canada and he shared his 911 story and touched on mental health and dispatch wellness as well as how he started Dispatch Monkey. If you missed that episode please make sure to go and listen and share.
The Sons/Daughters of Dispatch decals are currently up for a second round and available for only 2 weeks (end date April 2nd2016). They are 5X5 decals at $9.99 + shipping. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are also t-shirts of the logo made by Threadsy Tee that will be going up for sale as well so keep an eye out for them. As for the scholarship it includes,
Complementary registration to the conference & expo
Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice
Today’s guest is Daphanie, Communications Training Coordinator and Shift Supervisor, out of Martin County Fire/Rescue in Florida. In this episode Daphanie shared her 911 dispatch story as well as some calls that have impacted her life. This is a must listen so please check this out, share and share again. Below you will find links to Daphanie’s articles with IAED, links to IAED and Threadsy Tee.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to episode 102 of the Within the Trenches Podcast, a podcast based on the experience of being a 911 dispatcher. The show is going strong and while stories are the main focus of the podcast, 911 companies and organizations are coming on the show to talk about what they are doing. The way I look at it is that if I can supply dispatchers with some free training through the podcast, why not?
On episode 101 I spoke with Eddie of St. Louis County, Missouri and he shared his 911 story as well as what it was like for him in the dispatch center during the Ferguson riots. If you missed that episode, please make sure to go and listen and share.
The Sons/Daughters of Dispatch decals are currently up for a second round and available for only 2 weeks (end date April 2nd 2016). They are 5X5 decal’s at $9.99 + shipping. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are also t-shirts of the logo made by Threadsy Tee that will be going up for sale as well so keep an eye out for them. As for the scholarship it includes,
Complementary registration to the conference & expo
Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice
Today’s guest is known throughout social media and the blogosphere as Dispatch Monkey but today we find out who the man is behind the monkey…or curtain. This person is a police dispatcher working for an agency in western Canada and his given name is Lloyd. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out, share, check out Dispatch Monkey's links below and share!
As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Welcome to episode 101 of the Within the Trenches Podcast. Last week I posted the 100th episode of the podcast and in that episode I took a trip back in time to how everything started out and what’s to come. I played clips from episodes 1, 6 and 12 and I hope you enjoyed them because they were so much fun to record. Since that episode I have received many emails for the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch vinyl decals. Because so many people wanted a second round I opened up the vault and they are available once again. They will only be available for 2 weeks so get them while you can. They are 5X5 decals at $9.99 + shipping and can be found here. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Scholarship includes:
Complementary registration to the conference & expo
Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice
On today’s episode I got to speak to dispatch trainer Eddie from St. Louis County, Missouri. Eddie shared his 911 dispatch story along with what it was like for him when he was working in dispatch during the heated situation that was the Ferguson riots. I must preface this by saying that no specific incidents are talked about because of open/pending court cases, but it focuses more on Eddie's stress level during that time. Eddie attended many hours worth of stress management but nothing could prepare him for what he dealt with.
This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show please send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode 100! Man oh man I can’t believe it. It’s been one crazy ride and I wouldn’t change a thing. Welcome to Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 911 dispatcher. I have interviewed dispatchers from all over the United States including Ireland, Canada and Australia. I have also interviewed 911 leaders, directors and 911 pro companies and organizations such as the 911 Wellness Foundation, Dispatch Magazine Online, NENA, APCO, TERT, EENA, INdigital, Success Communications, Agency360, 911Trainer.com, Avaya, The Denise Amber Lee Foundation, Xybix, Smart911, The Cool Kids of 911 and more!
I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to interview and meet so many amazing people. It started as a school project and blew up from there. In this episode I go back and reflect on the beginning of my journey. I play clips from episodes 1, 6 and 12 and share all kinds of stories. I hope you enjoy them and I will post links to those episodes below. Don’t forget that you have until April 15th 2016 to apply for the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship. This is a great opportunity for you to attend a national conference so don’t miss out. Thank you to everyone who believed in me and this project. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I see this show doing so many things in the future so stay tuned. Here’s to 100 more episodes and beyond. Cheers!
Welcome to episode 99 of Within the Trenches. I have come a long way and it is hard to believe that my next episode is going to be number 100. I am planning something great for this landmark episode so stay tuned! In this episode I did a recap of episode 98 that included some of my admins. I also gave an overview of a couple of videos we watched and I made sure to give a shout out to Heather of Absolute Photography out of Holland, MI. She made a vinyl decal out of my Sons of Dispatch – NINE ONE ONE Original logo and it looks amazing!
I asked the fans if they would be interested in one and there was a large response so I will be making them available in the next few days for purchase. The decals will be for both the Sons and Daughters logo and will cost $9.99 a piece. Now I know it may seem like a lot but a portion of the proceeds will go to a scholarship that I am working on to send one dispatcher to the 2016 National NENA conference in Indy.
Today’s guest features Sue Pivetta of Professional Pride and 911trainer.com. She is a former dispatcher, supervisor, console trainer and vocational teacher. This episode was a lot of fun and after about 3 years of trying to schedule an episode we finally got a chance to chat. If you are passionate about training or are thinking about making a move into a training position then this is the episode for you.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. Also don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShitDispatchersSay & ShitDispatchersThink on Facebook and Twitter. You can mention us on Twitter with your Say or Think hashtag and we will retweet it or you can send one to our inbox on Facebook and we will post it anonymously. Check out Sue’s links below and tell her we sent you. Cheers!
Welcome to episode 98 of Within the Trenches. A lot has been going on lately and I can’t make any announcements yet but as soon as I get the green light I will do so. Now along with that there are some big things coming up and I know the National NENA conference is a few months away but I can’t help but mention that the podcast will be better than ever. I’m working on a scholarship for one lucky dispatcher. The scholarship will include a full registration, travel stipend and a couple others things but complete details and open registration will not come out until early next month. If you have never been to a conference, this is your chance.
A couple t-shirt campaigns are coming up as well and a portion of the proceeds will go to that scholarship so when it hits make sure to order your shirt, it’s going to an excellent cause. And in case you’re wondering the shirt campaigns will include the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch design that I posted on Facebook and Twitter. Today’s episode is going to cover a hot topic on the skewed public perception of dispatch along with how much we do and how it can affect us. We also share a couple of videos on dispatcher tasks from Facebook Page “Inside the Fire: A Page For First Responders” and “The Operator” by Bridge the Divide Media. Joining me for this episode are a few of my admins from the podcast fan page, Shae, Victoria and Kelli.
This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com. Below you will find links to the videos mentioned in this podcast.
Welcome to episode 97 of Within the Trenches. A few days ago I received numerous tweets and Facebook messages asking if there was going to be a Halloween themed show. I thought about it and thought about it and finally decided I would do one. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do and a good friend of mine told me about some creepy and scary 9-1-1 calls she heard from a YouTube channel. I checked them out and they are pretty crazy. They reminded me of when I was in dispatch and the crazy stuff I would hear so I decided to use the tapes. I will give full credit to those who put the calls together below so make sure to check them out for other videos.
I want to make sure that everyone knows that I am not making light of the emergency situations. The calls are meant to educate and show the reality of 9-1-1 dispatch. Others may have a dark sense of humor and if you do well, that usually means you have worked or know someone who has come from the chair. At the end of the episode you will get to hear about some new things going on with the show and a scholarship I want to put together for the 2016 National NENA conference. I'm currently looking for sponsors so if you want in on it please let me know.
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
My haunted house
B&E and Attempted B&E while I was at home with my family
I am a firm believer that every person we meet, we meet for a reason. Whether it is good or bad, a blessing or a lesson, there is a reason. A few years ago I reached out to someone who would help shape the rest of my career. Although the good deed was small it changed everything and made a big impact on my life.
When I was in the last part of my dispatch career I was working on my Masters in New Media Journalism. At this time I was writing heavily and posting all kinds of personal dispatch stories to my blog. It had become pretty popular with those in the 9-1-1 community as well as the general public. People were learning and I was loving it but I felt like something was missing, I felt like I could do more. As I was riding on the popularity of my written version of Within the Trenches I was introduced to podcasting through an assignment in school. I fell in love with it and started a public safety series doing stories with dispatch, police and EMS.
From there I decided to turn my written segment into a podcast but it was going to take a little help from Kickstarter. My goal for this Kickstarter campaign was $1,500. It would pay for equipment, hosting and more. I was going strong with $606 early on but my campaign stalled and I was sure I would not make it. I had 36 hours left and I was freaking out. I was reading some 9-1-1 industry news at 9-1-1 Dispatch Magazine Online and decided I would reach out to the editor for help. I told Gary Allen that I wasn't looking for money from him. All I wanted was help getting the word out on my project. Later on that day I received a response from him saying that he loved the idea of a dispatch podcast and telling dispatch stories. He wrote up a small blurb on what I was doing and also reached out to some industry partners. In 24 hours I surpassed my campaign goal.
I can safely say that if it wasn't for Gary's help I probably would not have made it. On top of that I recently found out that one of the industry partners he reached out to was my now boss and founder of INdigital, a public safety solutions company. I thought my boss simply found me by the article that Gary put out but Gary reached out to him. It's awesome how things work out sometimes. Sadly, Gary recently passed away. He had 40 years of public safety background and my only regret is not having more of an opportunity to have him on the podcast to tell his complete story. I did get a chance to have him on an episode with me and it is included within this episode. We were experimenting with Google+ Hangouts Live so the audio sounds a little different but it is a good one nonetheless. Also towards the end there is about a minutes worth of music. The show doesn't end though, I was showing Gary a video and all you can hear is the music. So just in case you listen and wonder what is going on. Below you will find a link to the video version of episode 45 with Gary Allen. I hope you enjoy the episode and please share it.
As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show you can email me at wttpodcast@gmail.com
Gary,
I will be forever grateful to you. Your help made a huge impact on my life. I hope I am able to leave a mark on this industry the way you did. Godspeed my friend.
Welcome to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been almost a month since I posted the last episode but I’m back and ready to go with a long list of guests. Today’s episode will feature 911 news stories along with some tapes and a written guest blog. I’m joined today by show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen, Director of Vigo County 911 and 2nd VP of NENA. He’s joined by episode 94 guest Jordon, dispatcher with Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority and new to the admin team of the Facebook Fan Page.
Get ready to laugh, learn and if you would like to read and comment on Kelli's guest blog post entitled, "I was there" please click the link below. Also, there are only a few days left on the "Dispatch Love" t-shirt campaign so get yours while you can. Once it's over that's it! This is a limited edition t-shirt that cannot be found in stores.
Hello and welcome to episode 94 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver and this will be the last episode of a series of episodes that were recorded there. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting.
In this episode I got the chance to speak with Jordon and Tiffany, dispatchers with Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority out of Colorado. This was a great episode to record. We told many stories and we laughed like crazy. If you want to learn more about dispatching, the national conference and more then you need to check this one out.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Hello and welcome to episode 93 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Andrew, an instructor with Public Safety Training Consultants.
This is a very short and sweet episode that I hope you enjoy. I usually record a longer episode but Andrew was about to give a class at the conference. I am going to get a hold of him for a much longer episode in the future so stay tuned for that.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, you can send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Hello and welcome to episode 92 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen the newly elected 2nd VP of NENA. This was a fun episode to record and in it we talk about a presentation we gave on text for 911. The presentation went great and Rob and I are thinking of hitting more conferences to present this.
This is a must listen! The intro alone is awesome so make sure to check it out and share! As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Hello and welcome to episode 91 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen the newly elected 2nd VP of NENA, Ty Wooten, Education Director of NENA and Brian Tegtmeyer, who is an Education Advisory Board Member for NENA. This is an awesome episode! We share everything from the beginning of the conference up until that point of the conference. It's educational and entertaining.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com
Hello and welcome to episode 90 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with Matt, Founder of Agency360 and sponsor of the show for the month of June.
Matt shares his story from dispatch, to becoming a police officer and ultimately starting Agency360 to help the onboarding of new dispatchers and helping to streamline your CTO program. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss! So please listen and share!
As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below.
Welcome back folks! This is episode 89 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I got to speak with guest regular Rob McMullen, director of Vigo County 911 out of Indiana and current North Central Region Director of NENA. We chat and listen to 9-1-1 calls including one on the late great American Dream Dusty Rhodes. We also share some information on our upcoming class at the National NENA Conference in Denver next week. It's called, "A Day In The Life of Text to 9-1-1." You don't want to miss it! If you are going to be there, make sure to look for us on Tuesday around 4 p.m.
Also make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360! Their customizable web-based field training software supports the CTO program and the on boarding of new dispatchers across the country to improve consistency, access, and efficiency in documenting their training. For more click on their image below.
Episode topics -
9-1-1 tapes
Dusty Rhodes
"If they shoot you call us back with that information"
News story of female faking a kidnapping over text
Good afternoon and welcome back for episode 88 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Theresa, a dispatcher and trainer with Greenville City PD in Greenville South Carolina. We go back and reflect on her dispatch career from the beginning up to present time as a trainer. We also dig deep into her training style and how her CTO program through Agency360 has streamlined the training process.
If you have ever wanted to be a better trainer this is the episode for you! This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or want to be a guest on the show, send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com
Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below!
Hello everyone! This is going to be an epic episode 87 of Within the Trenches. It has been a little while since the last episode but I’m back and ready to go. Agency360, a new sponsor for the month of June, sponsors this episode. I will be sitting down with them in the coming week to record an episode with them and talk about the awesome things they are doing for dispatchers with their training program. For today’s episode I want to go back and talk about where this all started.
You will get to hear about how I started out in dispatch, my calls, my transition from dispatch to becoming an industry partner and what I am doing with the podcast. You will also listen to clips from other episodes. One deals with an officer shooting and death. It is one that you need to listen to and hopefully you can learn something from it. This is a must listen so check it out and share.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below.
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This will be the last episode in a series recorded at the 2015 Indiana NENA/APCO conference and expo a few weeks ago. I had a great time there and I hope everyone who was on the show or attended my class enjoyed it too. I met a lot of new people, visited with good friends and just had an all around good time. There is never a dull moment with the crew from Indiana.
In this episode I got the chance to speak with Lindsey, dispatcher with Fulton County 911 and her mom Lori, training coordinator with INdigital and former PSAP director. This episode was a lot of fun to record. It was the first time that I have ever had a mother/daughter episode and they hit one out of the park.
This is a must listen so check it out and share. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, you can send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Episode topics –
How Lindsey started in dispatch
What it was like working for her mom Lori
What training was like
What it was like the first night they worked together
Hello folks and welcome back to another excellent episode of Within the Trenches. This is the podcast where you will learn, laugh and understand what 911 dispatch is all about. The point of the show is to give a true experience and look into the lives of those behind the mic. They are the true first responders and the most important people you will never see. In doing this podcast I have made it my goal to help share their stories as well as some of mine.
In this episode I sat down with show regular Rob McMullen, North Central Region Director of NENA as well as director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana. Joining him on this episode are Victoria and Kelli, dispatchers with Vigo County 911 and this is a must listen and share. We tell stories from dispatch, personal life and a story I have never told before from my time in dispatch. It’s one you don’t want to miss.
As always you can email the show for comments, questions or if you want to be a guest on the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Link to the story that Kelli mentions at the end of this episode below.
Good morning! The wait is finally over! I must admit that it was hard for me to hold off posting this episode until today. I wanted to post it so that all of you could enjoy this but I had to separate the episodes to make it last. So without any further ado, welcome to episode 84 – Don’t be nervous. You will get the title once you hear the episode. This episode was recorded during the 2015 Indiana APCO/NENA Conference during the week of April 15 – 17.
In this episode I had the chance to speak to three lovely ladies out of Hamilton County in Indiana. Anna, Alicia and Shae were so open and honest about their love for the job that it made the conversation naturally flow. On top of that they have a sense of humor like mine so I felt like I had known them for years.
This epic episode is a must listen so check it out and share it up. As always if you have any comments, questions or if you would like to be a guest on the show, email us at wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Ahoy hoy! I’m back with episode 83 of Within the Trenches. This episode is part of a series of episodes I recorded at the 2015 Indiana NENA/APCO conference and expo. I had an excellent time there and this episode added to the fun. In this episode I finally and I mean finally got the chance to sit down with Ty Wooten, NENA Education Director who I have been trying to get on the show for almost a year now. We have been talking about it and talking about it but our schedules never matched up.
Ty is joined by show regular Rob McMullen, NENA North Central Region Director and Director of Vigo county 911. This is an episode you do not want to miss. We had so much fun doing our mic check that I added it in the beginning. This episode is not only educational but it’s 18 different kinds of funny. I hope you enjoy it and please share it with everyone you know.
As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com for questions, comments or if you want to be on the show. Make sure to check out the links below for what’s new with NENA.
Good afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. Episode 82 is part of a series of episodes that were recorded last week during the 2015 NENA/APCO conference & expo. In this episode I got to speak with Amanda and Yvonne, dispatchers with Lafayette PD and part of this years Teamwork Award recipients. Both dispatchers shared their 911 story as well as their reaction to the call that went national when a male called 911 in Indiana for his fiancé that he was speaking to over Skype in New York and she passed out. Thanks to the excellent work of Amanda, Yvonne and their partner Mark they were able to get help to the caller’s fiancé in New York. Great job and you deserve this award. Thank you for all you do!
This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show please email us at wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Good afternoon and welcome back! I have been M.I.A. and I apologize for that. Life and work takes over at times and I have to step back from the podcast but I’m here and I have brand new episodes coming your way. Last week I was at the Indiana NENA / APCO Conference & Expo. I was there for the show and I had the chance to speak on stage and tell my 911 story. It was an excellent time! I got to spend time with old friends, made new friends and the show was a hit.
The best part of last week was that the conference fell on National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It’s the week that we honor 911 dispatchers for the awesome work they do every day. The week was great and truth be told, I did not want it to end. Thank you for everything you do in dispatch. Although you may not hear it enough, you deserve all the kudos for being great!
In this episode I got to speak with Nirvana, a dispatcher with Lafayette PD, as well as Kelli and Victoria, dispatchers with Vigo County 911. This is a must listen to check it out and share it. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Also check out the great video below from the Cool Kids of 9-1-1. It’s a parody of Let it go but with a dispatch twist. You will dig it!
On February 16, 1968, the first 9-1-1 call was made. This is a very important date so today I present to you episode 80 of the podcast. I'm posting it ahead of episode 79 because I can't wait to share this story with all of you. Every event comes with stories and today’s date marks an event that started a lifetime of stories from those behind the mic.
I have to say that it's crazy to think that this podcast has 80 episodes under its belt. I started this adventure telling my stories through a written segment on my blog, the Jabber Log and it eventually evolved into a podcast. What I wanted to do from the beginning was tell the stories of the unsung heroes of 911 and here I am. I love doing this and the stories are all amazing. I just want to thank the listeners for the support throughout this journey and this episode is going to be excellent.
My guest today has been in public safety for some time now and his story is one that I have wanted to cover since I heard about it from my friend Tom with the Cool Kids of 911 Facebook page. His name is Steve and he is the director for Fairfax County 911 out of Virginia. His stories range from his first day in the chair to present day. Steve has many stories and I look forward to having him on again.
As always if you have any questions or would like to be on the show you can send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com
Note: There are a couple spots where there is an echo but it does not take away from the episode so enjoy.
Episode topics –
How Steve started out in dispatch
The day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated & the DC riots
Opinion on texting
How much different is 911 now from when Steve started
Good morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is going to be episode 79 and I’m going a little out of order but after recording episode 80, a milestone for the show, I had to post it up right away. Steve of Fairfax County 911 out of Virginia had an excellent story and if you haven’t listened to it yet, you need to. Today’s episode was going to be with Misti, a dispatcher and admin for "911 Dispatchers - Did I Really Say That?" but we had to reschedule so she will be on for a future episode and I look forward to that. My guest today is a good friend of mine and has been on the show before. He is the North Central Regional Director for National NENA and the Director of Vigo county out of Indiana.
In this episode we covered several silly and or ridiculous calls and shared some stories of our own. Below you will find the link to all the calls we referenced from the news affiliates. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show you can send an email to wttpodcast@gmail.com
Good morning and welcome to episode 78 of Within the Trenches. It has been a while since episode 77 but I am back with a long list of guests. In my last episode I revisited some of my personal dispatch stories. If you haven't listened to it you need to check it out. I will be recording more of my personal stories soon. I also mentioned that the new Indiana NENA website was up and registration is open for the 2015 conference so make sure to sign up. The website address is innena.org. Check them out, register and look for the show on their site. All the episodes recorded from last year’s conference are located there.
With that said today's episode is going to be a good one. My guest today is Joanne, a dispatcher with the New Hampshire State Police and one of the admins for 911 Operator's Peer Support Page on Facebook.
As always, if you would like to be a guest on the show or if you have any questions, email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com
Hello 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.
Welcome 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
Good 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.
Good 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.
Good 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.
Hello 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.
Welcome 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.
Welcome 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
Good 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
Good 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.
Health 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.
This 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
Welcome 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.
Good 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.
Good 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
Good 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
Good 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.
Good 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.
Within 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.
Within 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.
Within 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.
Within 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
Hello 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
Hello 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!
Hello 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!
Within 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!
Woo! 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.
Welcome 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.
Good 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
Today’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.
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.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to another awesome episode of Within the Trenches. In this episode I hosted our first Google+ Hangout. This was a live broadcast and although we had some minor technical difficulties I feel that it worked out rather well. This episode featured Gary Allen, editor of Dispatch Monthly (911dispatch.com), Ryan, a 9-1-1 dispatcher out of Pennsylvania and our podcast promotion featured 911Trainer.com.
We suffered a minor audio issue with Ryan in the beginning so he signed out of the discussion but we will have him on another episode that will feature his 9-1-1 experience. Between Gary and I, we hit topics such as 9-1-1 call accuracy, text to
9-1-1, taking ridiculous calls and much more! Below you will find links to Gary’s website, our podcast promotion and other sites we discussed on the show. You will also find two videos below. The first video is of our Hangout and the second features a video I played on the show but did not show up to the viewers. So…ever wonder what text FROM 9-1-1 would look like? Well, the second video is a teaser and shows what some dispatchers in Indiana are already using. As always you can email the show at wttpodcast@gmail.com.
Good evening folks and welcome back to another installment of Within the Trenches. One thing I have always wanted to do with this show is focus on dispatch stories, which I have done but I also want to start focusing on topic driven episodes. So far on the show we have taken on PTSD in dispatch, dispatch training standards and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).
Continuing with the focus on topic driven episodes, I got the chance to chat with Matt, Senior Director of Product Management for Smart911 by Rave Mobile Safety. In this episode we touch on what Smart911 does, how they started and how the program works. According to their website, “Smart911 is a free service that allows citizens across the U.S. to create a Safety Profile for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 to have in the event of an emergency.”
Make sure to listen and share with your friends and family. Also make sure to check out The Thin Gold Line on Facebook for 9-1-1 news, memes and discussion. Another source for 9-1-1 news, memes and discussion is Diary of a Mad Dispatcher. KMK, the pages creator recently wrote and published a book called, Endure (The Greyson-Slade Series). You can find it on Amazon so check it out!
Good morning and welcome back! Whitney and I finally got the chance to record episode 43 and this is a must listen and watch! In this episode we sat down with our good friend Matt to talk about ridiculous calls and non-emergency calls on emergency lines. Matt is a local police officer and since we have worked with him before we felt he would be best suited for this episode. We also visit inappropriate 9-1-1 "on hold" songs and share other funny stories. Get ready to be schooled and make sure to check out our podcast promotion featuring Facebook fan page 911 Dispatches From the Edge. This page is a good mixture of humor and seriousness. It's a place for 9-1-1 professionals to vent, network, share stories and more. Tune in next week when I sit down with Smart911 to share what they do for the public and dispatch. As always you can email the show at thejcast@thejabberlog.com.
Good afternoon and welcome to another episode of Within the Trenches. In this episode we visit some calls from our past and I explain a few key stories from episode 40. We start off cracking up and it pretty much sets the tone for the entire episode. We also play a 9-1-1 tape that was featured in the season finale of A&E's Panic 9-1-1. This was also an episode that I was flown out for. I recorded a segment with them where I would be the stand in for the dispatcher in the tape but after a few attemtps to fit in my angle it did not work out. From what I was told my voice didn't match the dispatcher on the tape and once you hear it you will agree. Either way it was a great experience and I hope to help them out again. As always you can email the show at thejcast@thejabberlog.com and don't forget to check out the new t-shirt campaigns going on at teespring.com. Cheers!
Episode topics -
Tug of war stomach blow
Hamburger guy stench
"I shot him six times!" (9-1-1 tape)
Code 7 Apparel
*All tapes are from Dispatch Magazine Online's library
Good morning and welcome back to another excellent episode of the Within the Trenches podcast. This weeks podcast promotion features Diary of a Mad Dispatcher on Facebook! I will provide the link below and make sure to head over and ‘Like’ them. They are 66,000+ strong and adding more fans every day. The page is tailored to 9-1-1 dispatchers but anyone would be able to get the humor from this page.
With that said, this weeks episode features Jessica, a dispatcher with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona. Jessica’s interview was excellent and her stories are compelling. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! As always you can email the show at thejcast@thejabberlog.com.
Make sure to check out our t-shirt campaign! There are only eight days left so get yours today!
Imagine waking up on Saturday. The sky is blue and the sun is shining bright. You lean over to wake your husband. He doesn’t move. You turn him over and notice his lips are blue…you check him…no pulse. Your heart breaks…he’s gone. Now imagine you are 9-1-1, listening to the screams and wails of a wife who has lost her best friend and husband. She requests CPR instructions but you know it’s too late. This is what it’s like, Within the Trenches. 
Welcome to episode 101 of the Within the Trenches Podcast. Last week I posted the 100th episode of the podcast and in that episode I took a trip back in time to how everything started out and what’s to come. I played clips from episodes 1, 6 and 12 and I hope you enjoyed them because they were so much fun to record. Since that episode I have received many emails for the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch vinyl decals. Because so many people wanted a second round I opened up the vault and they are available once again. They will only be available for 2 weeks so get them while you can. They are 5X5 decals at $9.99 + shipping and can be found here. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Within the Trenches Ep 123 -
