r/911dispatchers

Now that I have your attention, whether it’s interest or wanting to scoff at the dumb usual post, I want to say thank you for what you do!! Dispatchers are truly under appreciated. As a law enforcement officer, I wouldn’t be able to a good chunk of my job without yall. And that goes for Police, Fire, and EMS. I have always viewed you all as 1st responders due to how much you deal with.

I did a little dispatching in the military before moving to civilian police. I know it was no where near what you have to deal with but it increased the level of respect even more.

I know it’s not dispatcher appreciation week, but yall deserve all the thanks for the significant work you do. Thank you all for dealing with the Karen’s before we have to, and worrying about everyone you dispatch for!!

Is it possible to report a dispatcher for showing pictures of a suicide to an unauthorized person for entertainment purposes? It's a small town in Texas, and they save all their pictures on the computer drive. The date is unknown since it happened a few months ago. Who would it need to be reported to if the Police Chief doesn't do anything?

I’m looking for some honest input from other 911 Dispatchers because I’m struggling to figure out if this is just the reality of the profession or if my center is an outlier.

I hit my one year anniversary back in June. When I was hired, the expectation was that I’d be fully trained within a year. Instead, after a year, I have call taking and only one dispatch position completed out of five. I didn’t even start training on my first dispatch position until May and was released in June. The delays aren’t because people don’t want to learn they’re because we’re so short staffed that training constantly takes a back seat to just keeping the floor covered.
The staffing situation has become exhausting. Mandatory overtime is the norm. I’ve worked over 100 hours of OT already, and I know coworkers who’ve worked well over 150. It feels like every schedule comes with the expectation that someone is getting tagged.
Our scheduling is chaotic. We have multiple shift rotations with holes everywhere, so even before someone calls in, we’re already running at minimum staffing. One call-in can throw the whole shift into survival mode.

The Fourth of July really highlighted it. We all know it’s one of the busiest holidays of the year, but it still felt like we weren’t prepared from a staffing standpoint. We spent the day trying to keep our heads above water.
The chronic understaffing has created so much negativity in the center that morale just keeps getting worse. Everyone is tired. Everyone is frustrated. Everyone wonders if they’re going to get tagged again. That negativity has honestly started affecting me, too. I feel like I can handle the work itself, but being surrounded by constant negativity has made me start doubting myself.

My first year on the phones wasn’t easy. I handled calls involving a suicide, a homicide, and what started as a missing person that ultimately became a death investigation. Like every new telecommunicator, I had a lot to learn, but those calls stay with you. Ironically, the issue that ultimately got me in trouble wasn’t one of those calls it was my tone and or rushing someone off the phone in a couple of occasions. After everything that happened during my first year, I received disciplinary action because my tone came across poorly on those calls. That was hard to accept because I had spent the year trying to improve while dealing with some incredibly difficult situations. At the same time, I also received a citizen compliment for my call taking, a peer-to-peer compliment, was nominated for a positivity award for bringing positivity to the center. Also receiving a Lifesaver Award. All that being said is big part of why this has been so confusing. I don’t think I’m a perfect telecommunicator far from it not even fully trained and learning everyday but it’s hard to reconcile receiving positive recognition while also feeling like I’m constantly questioning whether I’m cut out for this job.

One thing that’s really started to bother me is how attendance policies affect the people who consistently show up. To be clear, I’m not talking about people who legitimately need FMLA or protected leave. Those protections absolutely matter. What I’m talking about is that it feels like recurring attendance issues have become accepted because, as long as someone follows the policy, there’s very little that changes. People can call in for up to two days without a doctor’s note, and if they have enough sick leave, it often seems like there’s little accountability for repeated call-ins. Over time, people start expecting certain employees to call in on days they’re scheduled for full shifts on the phones because it’s happened so often. Whether that’s perception or reality, it has become part of the culture, and it’s terrible for morale because everyone knows the workload is just going to fall on whoever did show up.
Meanwhile, I almost never call in. After everything that happened during my first year, I finally reached my breaking point. I had a complete mental breakdown, went to my doctor, and seriously considered quitting. I submitted my doctor’s note one day late and received a verbal warning because of it.

I understand policies are policies, but it was incredibly discouraging. I spent an entire year showing up, signing up for overtime, working mandatory overtime, rarely calling in, and doing everything I could to help keep the center running. The one time I genuinely wasn’t okay, I still ended up with a verbal warning. It honestly felt like I worked my ass off all year just to get the short end of the stick.

The frustrating part is that I actually love this job. I love helping people. I enjoy dispatching, and I want to make this career work. So I’m genuinely asking those of you who’ve been doing this for a while:

Is this normal?

Are most centers dealing with this level of understaffing, mandatory overtime, delayed training, and declining morale? Does it get better, or is this simply the reality of emergency communications?

Because right now, it feels like the system is burning out the people who keep showing up, and I’m trying to figure out if this is what I should expect for the rest of my career. Or I get out before I waist anymore time.

Only after getting into the job did I realize every place is different. Some are a one dept agency dispatch, some do it all, some just take the calls etc. I am so so so curious how your center works and what you do. It seems like theres no universal operariom for dispatchers

How many people on your shift

How many hours

What do you dispatch (one specific agency, multiple agencies, ems, law, fire etc...)

^how do you communicate to other agencies, departments if you only dispatch for one (just fire, just ems, just law, just one ifre agency, just one law agency etc)

How does your shift family get along with other shifts

How do you get along with those you dispatch to (ems, law....)

I tried asking this on the USAJOBS subreddit but I didn't get any responses, so hopefully someone here can possibly help me with my questions. Has anyone ever been an Emergency Response Dispatcher for the Department of the Navy? If so, what was your experience like doing this job? Thank you in advance to anyone who can help!

Can anyone tell me about the hiring process? I've been told that once the Criticall is passed, we will be in a group of people for 2-3 hours completing a computer test with example calls and a map test as well. I'm wondering if anyone has done this recently and can shed light on it for me. If not, if you have any other info about the agency. Are they a good agency to work for? Do they train you well? What is the schedule like for working hours? Do you have mandatory OT?

Hello!~

I’m pretty new to dispatch. I’m doing admin call taking right now but moving into 911 soon, and I’m trying to get better at being fast but still accurate.
I feel like I understand protocols and what I should be doing when I’m reviewing before call take, but it’s not really “clicking” yet in real time.

When it’s time to actually take a call, I’m slow, second-guess nature codes, and just don’t feel automatic with it yet. I know a lot of these skills come with time/reps… but I need to get my drop time down asap. :,)

For those of you who’ve been doing this a while, when did it start to click for you? And what actually helped you get faster without missing stuff?
Any and all tips/advice appreciated!! :)))

I’m 7 months in and training just ended. My station is small and made me train on each of our shifts to train with a new person, each for a couple of months. With that I was constantly being retaught the same exact things over and over again, except in different ways.

I don’t know how to explain this better, but every trainer I have had does things in completely different ways. Then when I do things the other trainer taught me, the new trainer reduces my score and I get punished for it and told to do something different.

For example, one trainer told me to ask about drugs, weapons in the same question, the other told me I need to ask them as separately no matter what. Both have essentially tried to correct me over this as if I did something completely wrong. Then add on being taught how to do this repeatedly. Another time trainers have become upset with me because I used another button feature from what the other trainer wanted to execute the same exact task.

They also handle the radio differently on each shift. The officers see my uncertainty and there is already a bad gossip problem in the station. Any mistakes and personal business will be broadcasted and I have already heard their concerns about me, when I wasn’t told what I was doing wrong to their preferences.

I feel that every single call i’ve taken is getting corrected only because of this, even though training is now over. It’s starting to overwhelm me because I don’t know what is right. When I brought this up to my supervisor, I was told everyone just prefers to do things differently, that this is just how training is here and not everyone can handle it(having things taught to you repeatedly, and in different ways), and they think i’m doing a good job so far. It just does not feel that way. Not to mention some of the coworkers are generally in bad, gossip like moods every day.

I’m nervous to get more specific with examples. I do not feel great about this right now. Being locked in a dark room with these people and their gossip, and being told to second guess myself every few months is not feeling the best after so long.

The trainers trash talk each other and tell me I was taught everything completely wrong. It makes me wonder what the last half year of my life in training was even for then? I would say training being over would make it better, but I still expect to be corrected on little preferences long after it’s done. As a side note we’re understaffed and I am sure overtime is expected of me on top of this, which is making me feel more strain.

Please, this is a long message but can anyone tell me if they’ve gone through a similar process? Does it get better? Is all of this normal? Thanks.

So I applied for a FOIL request, but in my research, I genuinely am struggling to find an active update and to see the actual timeframe until the calls may be deleted/removed. I can't find an archive and am not even sure if it'd be in an archive due to the nature of it.

My brother was shot in his main artery in 2008 at 12 years old resulted in his death unfortunately I wanted the 911 call as there's some separate things involving this, I want to find the audio; would it be in the archives or am I not looking in the right location (while I wait for my FOIL request)? I live in Steuben County in NY if anyone can help or give me any advice as to what else I can do I'd appreciate it.

Edit for more information: I was 7 when this happened. My brother was there when the gunshot hit my other brother, and the situation never sat right with me. There were police who questioned him, but as far as whether it was considered a murder investigation or anything like that, I think it was kind of written off instead of actually treated like a possible murder case, since he was only 12 and about 9-11 years old, where people had the mentality in my town that "children can't do that to another one."

We seem to get quite a few posts from people who have called 911.

We can’t tell you why something happened. We can’t tell you what should have happened. We can’t tell you anything about your 911 call because we are not your dispatcher, we are not at the agency you called.

Quite frankly it’s rude to come into a place where people of that profession go to vent and blow off steam and support each other and ask for us to armchair dispatch a situation that they’re likely not giving the full picture of.

It’s like walking into the break room at your local restaurant and demanding to know why a restaurant on the other side of town messed up your order.

My ex wife's current husband told me yesterday that he is starting with 911 dispatch. Firstly, he has put on public forums that he has ptsd and anger issues along with not being able to stand getting chewed out. His mouth and temper has cost him multiple jobs recently. During the conversation he stated that him and his boss tracked ip addresses from Facebook posts without consent from anyone. One of them is from me, but only facts that are detrimental to him, and another that is not me.

1 is it even possible to do that?

2 from what 8 am seeing with no case or investigation, that is illegal correct?

What is the best way to be able to report this? Even if he is just bluffing, it still shows that he will use the system to try and track me after I win custody in court monday of my son. I have police reports on him for death threats.I just have not filed charges against him yet.

Hello I am trying understand if what happen to me is more normal or known of then I realize…My husband was on shift on 6-26-2026 and told me to call 911…at 12:09pm I called 911…they asked me what I needed and I said an ambulance…they transferred me to EMS..I told them I was in extreme upper abdominal pain and needs an ambulance…they asked me if I was having chest pain…I said no…they asked if I had pain in my upper left arm or back..I said no…then they transferred me over to another person…which I was not asked if that was okay and I was not told that it was a private third-party company I was being transferred to…when that woman got on the phone I started getting text messages and the text messages said Lee co Health… so naturally I just assumed that I was still with 911 or even somebody local that would have to answer to somebody in the county…I continue to answer any questions because ultimately, I thought if I answered them, then I would be given the ambulance I desperately was asking for…the woman I was transferred to held me hostage on the phone for over 10 minutes…she was asking me all these questions about my health insurance, asking we to click on links, reading me legal disclaimers and eventually sending me a link for a video chat…mind you I am still on the phone with what I thought was 911…this is all very confusing to me and I was in extreme pain..but I did what I was told b/c I just thought that I would get an ambulance…so at about 11 1/2 minutes I was connected to a non local Telehealth “ER” doctor…when he came on I told that I was in extreme abdominal pain and needed an ambulance…he told me that I must go to the emergency room and I must tell them to run a CT scan…I said I will and I need an ambulance…he asked me if I was alone..I said yes…he asked if I felt I could drive myself…I said no…then I said I need an ambulance… I also said my door is unlocked and my dogs are put away…that is when he told me “There are no ambulances that can come help you”…he said that if I can not find a ride or drive myself that they could send a private car service… I did not feel like this private car service was an option for myself. I am a woman by myself in a very vulnerable situation that was needing medical care…so I told him I would ask my neighbor…in which that ended the call. When the call ended I was very confused and still in extreme pain…it had been 13 minutes from when I called 911 to the call ending and that feel like a long time especially when I was i pain…
I decided to just drive myself but I did call my husband at work…he was very confused with what I was telling him…he did not understand what was going on…he went to his Medical Chief and asked if he had ever heard of this the Medical Chief pulled the CAD system up and said there are 12 units in quarters right now with in a mile of me…the Medical chief immediately called his equal over at Lee County EMS…he said he would pull the audio…he did and he was in disbelief…then he called in the director of EMS….the two of them listened to my audio…both of were in disbelief…they called back the medical Chief and told him that everything did happen just as I said and that every protocol and safe guard had failed… that they were sorry…that they would look into…

So I went to the ER…I was seen… during that visit I received a satisfaction survey from a company called MD Ally asking me about my visit with them…I was upset and might have been a bit hash and told them I was upset…well about 5pm that day the medical Director for MD Ally called me and told me “that something horrible happened to me…I was lied to and told there were ambulance is available to come get me when that was untrue and there where always ambulances to come get me” she told me every protocol had been broken.

I will tell you that our local EMS director DID NOT do anything in fact he left Monday to go to the NEMA conference and sit side-by-side with that company CEO to sing high praises of this company…he was out the whole week

If this is common place can you help me understand and if this is not can you also help me understand

Has anyone successfully eliminated or mostly eliminated the chronic toxic environment that plague most dispatch centers? Mine has been working pretty hard to do it but there are still some people who just refuse to change.

Today in the CFS I typed "medium-sized black dog." When I read it out loud over the radio, I read it as "black-sized dog." My coworkers loved it and instantly made it a racial thing.

Something about the panic of the moment has the effect of scrambling speech. At least my coworkers are happy.

What are some memorable noobie mistakes you made?

It’s my first 4th as a dispatcher, and I am having so much fun! The adrenaline rush of answering calls back to back is crazy but it is so reassuring that I was meant for this job 🩷 happy 4th to my fellow dispatchers!! I hope you’re enjoying “is it a bomb or is it possibly a firework” as much as I am!