So you’re planning a new dispatch center! Where should you start? One of the first questions an architect or contractor may ask is how much square footage you’ll require for the space. This is a tricky question, and one that carries serious financial consequences. On one hand, you don’t want so much space that sections of the room are left empty. On the other, you don’t want to squeeze workstations into an area that is too small either. Take advantage of this pre-planning stage to build the perfect fit — with a space for your current staff (plus room to grow) that will meet the functional requirements of an up-to-date dispatch center. But how much square footage is that, exactly? That question may leave you scratching your head.
Dispatch Center Planning: How Much Square Footage Do I Need?
Posted by Judi Jump on Jun 2, 2014 8:19:00 AM
Recently, Xybix has been lucky to hear many remarkable stories of weight loss, diet and exercise from 911 dispatchers who have stopped by our booth at recent tradeshows. We’re truly happy for your successes and thrilled to hear that so many 911 dispatchers in the industry are focusing on their health!
At one recent tradeshow, I was speaking with a dispatcher about food, and the struggles of eating right in the dispatch center, with a high-stress environment and shifts that often last 12 hours or more. If you are like most dispatchers, many — if not all — of you end up eating meals at your desk, which makes complete sense when you’re working such long hours!
Topics: Employee Health
Are you protected against static interference in your 911 dispatch center? Imagine being on a call giving life-saving instructions to a frantic mother administering CPR to her child who has stopped breathing. Now, imagine if a static charge from unprotected flooring caused an equipment malfunction, and the call center experienced a shutdown, losing computer and phone service. Although this scenario is over-exaggerated, if your dispatch center doesn’t have static-free flooring, you could find yourself in a similar situation.
Topics: Installation Information, Features, Dispatch
Improving Comm Center Acoustics: 4 Common Questions (and Expert Answers)
Posted by A Previous Xybix Employee on May 15, 2014 1:41:10 PM
1. Why are acoustics important in a communications center?
No one likes to unintentionally eavesdrop on colleagues’ conversations — whether it’s work-related or personal. But in some office environments, noise travel fast, allowing you to hear other employees’ voices and movements from across the room, whether you want to or not. These undesirable sounds not only affect employees’ productivity, but also decrease privacy.
A room that is considered “loud”, “reverberant”, or “echoey” generally needs additional sound-absorption solutions. Workplaces designed with acoustics in mind will help absorb, block and cover sound by utilizing a combination of products. While successful acoustical design won’t eliminate noise completely, it will lessen it, allowing comm center employees to work more efficiently and effectively.
Topics: Features
What is a UPS power source?
An uninterruptible power supply, uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery backup is an electrical unit that provides emergency power to a load when the building power fails. A UPS is very different from auxiliary power or an emergency generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from building power interruptions by supplying power stored in batteries. The-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down your protected equipment.
Topics: Installation Information, Features, Pre-Planning
Ease Your Manager’s Mind about Treadmill and Bike Desk Safety
Posted by Kathleen Utley on May 7, 2014 10:51:54 AM
Frequently Asked Treadmill Desk Questions
Xybix has received countless questions from inquiring minds about the LifeSpan treadmills and bikes. To help answer these questions, Xybix President Barry Carson made this informative video.
Topics: Employee Health
Technical Furniture vs. Office Furniture
Posted by A Previous Xybix Employee on May 5, 2014 4:09:56 PM
One of the most confusing aspects of the custom workplace furniture industry is explaining, clarifying and differentiating between technical/systems furniture and run-of-the-mill office furniture. In truth, they only have one thing in common: providing a place to hold the tools necessary to perform one’s work duties and get the job done. Other than that, they couldn’t be more different. Read on for three traits that distinguish technical furniture from your everyday office furniture.
Turn Up the Heat in Your Dispatch Center - Safely!
Posted by A Previous Xybix Employee on Apr 25, 2014 12:22:00 PM
What is the one thing that public safety employees always seem to disagree about in a communications center? Well, there may be more than a few different things on your radar, such as lighting or even a code 7 — can we all agree on a place to eat?
However, working as a 911 Dispatcher in California, the biggest argument I hear again and again in my center is over the thermostat! Can we turn the heat up? Can we turn it down? There never seems to be a perfect setting to suit all workers.
Healthy Habits for 911 Dispatchers and Public Safety Professionals
Posted by Kathleen Utley on Apr 16, 2014 4:31:00 PM
Exercising at work has numerous benefits including reducing stress and improving your health. Suggested exercises while at work often involve getting up from you desk. For example, it is suggested that employees walk to another employee to engage in conversation instead of staying at their desk and sending an email. Another common suggestion is to get up every hour and walk around the office area taking stairs if they are available.
While these are great ideas they may not be as helpful to people in fields where they can not just get up from their desks whenever they desire. Employees, such as 911 dispatchers and public safety professionals, need tips that allow them to exercise without leaving their workstation. Not only is it important for these employees to have the opportunity to improve their health but their high stress jobs make identifying options for stress relief while at work imperative.
Topics: Employee Health, Brief Overview
Why Bonds Matter: Do Your Due Diligence Before Starting Your Next Big Project
Posted by David Carson on Apr 15, 2014 3:46:00 PM
Before taking the plunge and starting a large construction or remodel project in your dispatch center or office space, there are two very important questions that you need to address: How can you tell if a furniture company is financially stable? And how do you know what their “warranty” is worth? There’s one simple answer: through bid, performance and payment bonds.