As you all know I always avoid posting on the negative news stories that come out about our Emergency Services Family. The media blows things out of proportion on a regular basis and they really do not need any help getting it out there. However my inbox has been weighted down this week with the news story about the dispatcher in Arizona laughing on an legit emergency call. I have had no intention what so ever of commenting on it until I received a message from someone close to that agency. The mistake of one is effecting an entire agency. So on that note let me just say: It is an unfortunate event when someone in the public eye makes a mistake. In our line of work everything, and I do mean everything is recorded in some way or another. Phones are recorded. Radios are recorded. Even some centers are recorded. When we take a call, any call. No matter if it is a cat in a tree or a woman on fire the person on the other end of the line deserves your attention and respect. Yes I know when you have talked to Ms Smith about the aliens for the 37th time that day it is annoying, but she still deserves to be treated with respect. To her this is really happening. An incident like this can destroy the morale, which often times is delicate at best in most centers. The thing to remember before we all throw this dispatcher under a bus and drag her behind us is that we are all human. We all make mistakes. It is difficult when people in the room are laughing at what you are saying not to react. Not that I am making an excuse for her. I was not there and I do not know what the back ground situation was. Basically the point I am trying to make is before we judge her or her center we need to be sure that we are above error. You never know when your next mistake will be the national news error. KMK
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:00:01 +0000
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