As I am writing this blog, the Northeast is facing yet another blizzard warning. Yep, you read that right... ANOTHER!  I, like many of you in the North, choose to live in an area with four seasons. I love the snow… but after 78 inches of the fluffy stuff in the past 3 weeks, it is safe to say I am wishing for a warmer climate.

We all have Moms and some of us are even Moms ourselves. After some time (and I'll admit, after my teenage years) it struck me, that maybe we should listen to our Moms a bit more often. So, I want you to close your eyes and think of a time when your Mom has told you to do something or maybe NOT to do something. There! Got it…? Now, with that in mind, read these helpful tips on how you can extend the life of your dispatch workstations.

“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.

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.  

Let’s face it, when you sit at a desk all day, it is hard to stay healthy and active. In most office jobs, people are afforded the opportunity to get up for a multitude of reasons - to take a bathroom break, refresh coffee, chat with a coworker about the weekend, head to lunch, or to just simply to stretch their legs.

Unfortunately, in the world of 911 dispatch, security monitoring, utility monitoring or in any call center, employees are tied to their desks. Want to get up and walk around the office? What if an emergency call comes in? The truth is, in these 24/7 industries, it is just not that easy!

Light Reflectance
Have you ever wondered why Radiologists work in dark rooms? Studies have shown that the ability to interpret diagnostic images correctly on medical imaging monitors begins to decline as the ambient light conditions go from dark to light. Another common problem is light reflectance which can cause glare on the imaging monitors, impacting the clarity of the images. Too much glare is a frequent complaint among workstation users. Glare can be disabling, reducing the contrast of images and interfering with the ability to read the images correctly. Glare can be caused by reflections from interior light sources, light from windows and even light colored objects within the reading room-- including the color of the furniture.

Purchasing chairs for a multiple user, 24/7 environment is always a difficult task. It seems that there are always compromises to be made in comfort, durability or functionality. Where do you start? How do you know if what your buying is actually a 24/7 chair? Finding the answers to your purchasing questions is not easy, but with a few simple steps, you can get the most out of your chair buying experience.

The biggest thing to remember when ordering chairs is to allow yourself enough time to make sure that you are making the right choice. Make sure that you have given yourself ample time to do all of your homework, research all of your options and demo any product you are considering.

If you are in the process of remodeling, renovating or just updating your 911 Dispatch Center, this article is for you. Customers often ask which type of cabling they should use for their dispatch center and as the National Installation Manager for Xybix Systems, Inc. I am well versed with this topic. Let's start with the basics: Cat6 and Cat6a are designed for ethernet /data and phone cabling. The differences don't become clear until you start looking at speed and distance of the two very different cables.

By now, most of you have heard about the health risks of sitting for extended periods of time. A height adjustable workstation or desk will give you the most flexibility, because it allows you to move easily between sitting and standing. So, the next logical question you might ask is 'how do you know what height to adjust your desk to?' A standing desk won’t do a whole lot of good, if you’re hunched over the keyboard to type or craning your neck to read your email. When setting up a height adjustable workstation, there are two positions you want to consider; seated and standing. Both are specific to each individual who uses the workstation.

Have you ever heard noise in your headset while you are trying to talk on the phone or talk on the radio?

If you answered yes to these questions, you have a grounding issue in your dispatch center.

There are a number of acceptable methods to correctly bond and ground a building, electrical cabling and equipment. The most common misconception about grounding is that, what you currently have for grounding, is good enough. But, there is no such thing as too much grounding.