Congrats! You have been tasked with designing a telemetry room. Telemetry is an up-and-coming concept at major hospitals throughout the nation. As thrilled as you probably are to be on the side of innovation, it’s normal to have some questions. After all, where do you start? Who should you contact? Don’t worry; this blog is here to help!

You’ve heard a lot lately about Xybix's new Eagle Line of Dispatch Consoles, but what exactly is the “Eagle Difference”? Let us explain...

What’s the Eagle Difference?

Can you picture that black edge that practically EVERY piece of industrial furniture you’ve seen since you were in grade school has? You know, the stuff that looks like it belongs on a bumper car?

Well, it’s gone. G-O-N-E! Gone with the wind! You get the picture.

The idea of getting a new communications center, getting upgrades at your current center, or remodeling can be exciting, but there is also a lot to take into consideration. Typically, a comm center remodel involves several components, such as installing new flooring, painting the walls, implementing new CAD systems, finding new monitors, and of course, getting new dispatch consoles.

As you can see, there are quite a few moving parts involved in revamping a comm center. During this process, it’s natural to want to plan around a time frame estimate. A question we are frequently asked is "how long does it take to get new dispatch consoles"? To help  answer this, I’ll map out the typical timeline we use at Xybix, starting from the beginning.

Are you planning for a new dispatch center or is it time for a renovation? That’s fantastic! Do you have an architect? That’s also fantastic! Do you have a team of people with conflicting input and opinions? That’s not so fantastic. The good news is that I’m here to arm you with information that will get everyone on the same page and impress the pants off of your architect!

You may have seen an episode of Extreme Makeover on one of the home improvement channels. The premise of the show is simple; a room in someone’s home is in desperate need of updating because it looks drab and dull. The makeover team comes to the rescue and converts the room into something much more appealing over one weekend.

Public safety professionals work in very unique settings, and they experience an intense job flow that most working people are not used to. 911 Dispatchers are always ready and on high-alert for that next phone call. Unlike a typical office job, a 911 Dispatcher cannot always leave their desk to take a walk outside, go down to the lobby for coffee, or check out of work an hour early.

Perhaps you’ve been noticing that your current work space just isn’t what is used to be. Maybe the furniture is beginning to show some breakdown, or perhaps the style is simply outdated and unpleasant to look at. Even worse, maybe your colleagues are hunched over the desks and operating their jobs in uncomfortable positions. And they’re telling you about it. (Image via GIPHY)

A 911 communications center is host to many dark calls. For 911 dispatchers who are responsible for answering these critical phone calls, death is on the phone daily. I spent 14 years as a paramedic in Denver, and I remember that one day my unit alone saw eight cases dead on arrival (DOA). Later on, we were able to make our way to one of the local parks to look at green grass, beautiful lakes, and pleasant foliage in order to soothe some of the pain we had witnessed.

Personally, I am not a dispatcher. However, I am lucky enough to get to spend time with many first responders, and I have learned a lot from this great group of individuals over the years. Specifically, I’ve been educated on what does and doesn’t work for them when it comes to their dispatch consoles. While I came into this market with an understanding of how office furniture is designed, manufactured and installed, the furniture needs of an administrative setting are a bit simpler when compared to the complicated needs of a dispatch center. The dispatchers who I’ve gotten to know have opened my eyes to how important the process of selecting new dispatch console truly is.

Over the last couple of months, I have discovered that more and more agencies are wanting to go with a touch-screen phone system. This conversation is usually brought up when talking about the number and sizes of monitors agencies are looking to add to their workstations. Working in a 911 dispatch center myself, I have had a touch-screen monitor over the past eight years and rarely used it. You ask why? Well for one thing, the monitor is generally so far away from me, the end user, that I find myself reaching over to answer the incoming line. Personally, I would rather locate the mouse dedicated to the phone system on the desktop and click on the incoming line.