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.

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.

Frequently Asked Treadmill Desk Questions

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.

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.

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.  

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.

I recently ran into a registered nurse who now works a desk job and sells services nationwide. When I was explaining to him that I worked for a company called Xybix Systems, Inc. that makes height adjustable ergonomic furniture, his eyes lit up and he said, “No way! I just built a homemade, height-adjustable desk myself and even added a treadmill! Here, I have a picture…” Needless to say what I saw, while impressive in a DIY kind of way, it was wrong on multiple levels. As an RN working the ER floor, he gained 60 pounds and struggled with eating right in a nonstop, emotionally taxing environment. He managed to lose the weight and keep it off and has certainly benefited from integrating consistent activity into his new workspace.

When Should I start looking for new 911 Dispatch Console Furniture?

This is a loaded and tricky question for most people! And, with the ever-changing world of dispatch furniture products, starting your search for new 911 dispatch console furniture can often lead to “a kid in the candy shop” mentality, which can lead to wishful thinking and ultimately, frustration about your current situation. This blog will walk you through the initial purchasing steps, typical time lines and processes before, during and after you start your search for new 911 dispatch console furniture.

Buying new dispatch furniture or radiology furniture can be stressful. After making the big decision on which furniture manufacturer will work best for you, it might feel like you are only halfway done. That's because you are. Hopefully, you have picked a company with a strong and experienced team which can help make the delivery and installation go seamlessly. There is probably a lot of pressure to get the new furniture delivered, installed and functioning without disruption or costly mistakes. This blog will walk you through some order completion details that can help ensure a smooth arrival and delivery of your new furniture.