“We spent good money on these height-adjustable consoles 7 years ago, and none of my dispatchers use them!” I can spot this problem immediately when I walk into a 911 dispatch center. Both the workstation surfaces are the exact same height, with paperwork and radios spread out across them. Most dispatchers in the center are not working in the best ergonomic position. What can I say? Some people simply do not like change.

Walking the show floor at any conference for public safety professionals is a great opportunity to check out the latest and greatest offerings from the industry’s top vendors. Never was this more true than at The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials’ (APCO) Annual Conference and Expo in New Orleans, which took place in early August.

Not surprisingly, my favorite part of these exhibitions is visiting other dispatch furniture manufacturers. There is nothing better than touching, feeling, and sometimes riding up and down on the furniture! I have 17 years of experience in this industry, and want to share with you what stood out to me.

So without further ado, here’s what you missed from the dispatch furniture vendors at APCO 2014 (in alphabetical order):

How does one write a clear, effective RFP (request for proposal) for new dispatch furniture? This is a daunting task for many comm center managers — and one they usually only need to tackle once or twice during their careers. How do you know what to say? How can you be fair to the vendors, while getting what you really want? How do you avoid low-price bidders? And most importantly, how do you keep it honest?

These are great questions, all of which I hear from time-to-time when talking to comm center supervisors and managers. Everyone wants to get it right, but it’s often unfamiliar territory with a lot at stake.

Never fear! We’ll walk you through the RFP process so you can get started on your search for a dispatch furniture company that best fits your needs.

Here’s what you need to know:

One of the most important investments a casino owner can make is in the security of the establishment. With this in mind, many casino managers have installed high-tech surveillance systems, such as HD cameras and around-the-clock video monitoring, all of which provides exceptional oversight and security. But the casino industry’s next big surveillance investment should be a little closer to solid ground. We’re talking about height-adjustable furniture consoles for security operators, which can be incredibly beneficial for both the operations team and the management.

Height-adjustable furniture is commonly used in government agencies such as 911 dispatch and utilities departments. While you may think that 911 dispatchers have little in common with casino security, they actually share one major job function: long hours at a desk, scrutinizing multiple computer screens.

We know how it goes; you are in desperate need of new dispatch furniture. Your furniture might look like it belongs in the Titanic museum. You have had it forever. It is literally falling apart. You cannot get new parts for it, and it does not fit the new technology that you are putting on it. So, you have a monitor here, a monitor there, or maybe even a computer in your leg space. Heck, even the fire department has gone through four new rigs since the last time your center got new furniture! It is time! 

As we know, a 911 dispatch center can have many distractions for dispatchers. Noise often carries and reflects throughout a room and is audible in even the furthest reaching corner of the room. It can start with a casual disruption like “hey, what are we getting for lunch?”, to a full blown “calm down sir, help is on the way!” Often times, dispatchers raise their voice so that they can be heard with clarity by the caller and sometimes side conversations tend carry when they are even whispered.