There are four types of lighting in a 911 dispatch center. There isn’t a right or wrong way to go about it, and each center utilizes a different approach when it comes to illumination. Similarly, each shift will use lighting differently based on the preferences of dispatchers and the time of day. Heck, even each dispatcher will have a different opinion on which lighting option is best for them.

This is something that we get asked quite a bit. Understandably, many of you want to get the best value out of your purchase for dispatch furniture. This consists of the initial cost of the dispatch station as well as the expectant lifetime of the product and the warranty. Getting the most for your money is important no matter where you work.

My oldest son’s 17th birthday was on March 2nd. As many of you know, it’s incredible how kids change and grow by that age. As all parents feel about their children, I am so proud of him and what he has done so far in his life that I cannot say enough good things.

This brings me around to a Xybix installation job that I visited which installed in 1999. This means it was shortly before my son was even born. Just like my son has changed, how we build our dispatch consoles and even how we run the business at Xybix has transformed as well.

I just had a great conversation with one of Xybix’s longtime customers in Joliet, IL. I still remember our presentation with Joliet/Will County. Sometimes you just know right away that it is a great fit, and this was one of those times.  

What got me excited to write this blog is that the furniture in Joliet is now 10 years old, and according to the chief administrator who has been there the whole time, it still looks new. I found this out as we were discussing depreciation rates of the dispatch consoles. This falls into how long you should hold onto your dispatch furniture. Each center is going to see things differently. In this case, they are looking at the 12-year mark, and they may go to 15 if needed.  

With another year of RSNA is behind us, we have had a weekend to rest up and now it is time to go back to work. With over 20 years of building and selling height adjustable desks for imaging centers and 24/7 markets I always like to cruise the show floor and see what is new each year at RSNA. 

Xybix has mentioned plenty of times throughout our blogs how incorporating movement while working at your dispatch console can help you burn more calories, improve your focus, and even lower your risk of developing certain ailments. The good news is that there is no shortage of tools on the market that are designed to get you up and moving at work. After evaluating quite a few of them, here are five of the best accessories and exercises to help you stay healthy. We will start with the easy and low-cost (FREE!) items and work our way up.

In the business world, everyone talks about return on investment (ROI). Recently, I have been seeing this term pop-up more and more in relation to buying dispatch furniture.  It’s often illustrated like this:  

Cost of work station: $22,000.00

Longevity in years: 15

Cost per year: $1,466.00  

This magic number of dollars to return on investment is simply about profit margins and the bottom dollar. When in fact, ROI can actually be much more complex than this.

I just got back from a job site visit, and the 911 center I visited had their computers sitting outside of the consoles on the floor. Not such a good idea because of all of the potential hazards, such as tripping over the computers, accidentally unplugging them, and/or just knocking them over.

I asked the dispatchers what was going on and if they had run out of room, and they told me that the CAD computers kept overheating sitting in the framework of the consoles. In addition to that, all of the rear access doors were also open to help keep the computers from overheating.  

What is customization? I asked myself this question the other day when I was told by a customer that a competitor said that Xybix does not do anything custom. Whoa--that was a surprise to hear, as we provide custom furniture all of the time! The big question that should be addressed is how do you, the dispatcher, view a custom product? To answer this question clearly, I have broken the concept of customization down into two main categories to help you better understand what goes into a custom product when designing or updating a new room.  

We have been in this industry long enough to see trends come and go. Heck, we have even seen companies come and go. Lately, one of the trends in the industry is the selling of single surface consoles. These can seem appealing, as they are different from the first generation consoles that were dual surface, but which option truly provides more benefits? Let’s take a look at the origin of the dual surface console as well as what’s needed today: