With the holidays coming right around the corner, many 911 Comm Centers are experiencing increased call volume, and because of this, you may not have any creative juices left over to boost morale in your center. So, to help you out, I conducted a phone interview with Tammy Price, Chief of Baltimore County 911 Center, to discuss some ideas on how to ramp up morale that actually work in the real world. She is no stranger to cool and fun ideas. In fact, she has given presentations on how to boost morale in Comm Centers three times at various APCO/NENA conferences.
Holiday Fun in the 911 Comm Center: What Comm Centers are REALLY Doing
Posted by Maria Teruel on Dec 7, 2017 1:59:42 PM
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
Thanksgiving as a 911 Dispatcher: Ways You Can Celebrate Too
Posted by Kathleen Utley on Nov 20, 2017 9:55:17 AM
Some of the best people I’ve ever worked with are those in the 911/Public Safety Industry. And while most of us are at home in our stretchy Thanksgiving pants enjoying the company of family and loved ones, someone needs to be someone on the other line of a 911 call in case of emergency. So, here is a shout out to all of you 911 Dispatchers & Turkey foregoer’s. I've put together a list of how you might be able to have a bit of a good ol’ Thanksgiving celebration even while you are at work.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
911 Dispatchers & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Posted by Amanda Schwartz on Nov 13, 2017 9:35:36 AM
Before diving too deep into this subject, let’s start with the basics. What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? How can it affect you?
PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event. A person may develop this disorder in response to extreme trauma that he/she has experienced, witnessed, or learned about, especially trauma that is life-threatening or causes bodily harm. A person may feel horror, fear, or helplessness because of this trauma.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
Smells In the 911 Dispatch Center: It's Pumpkin Spice Season Y'all
Posted by Ken Carson on Oct 20, 2017 3:17:44 PM
The famous pumpkin spice flavor has made its way onto the store shelves, announcing that fall is officially here. Many people are absolutely obsessed with pumpkin spice, so this is a special time for many fall-loving folks. As a child from the ‘70s, it was Count Chocula gracing my supermarket aisles that got me excited. To this day, I still love Count Chocula.
Speaking of pumpkin spice, recently, I read about how an entire high school was evacuated due to a plug-in pumpkin spice air freshener. I’m not sure how bad it actually smelled, but the story made me think about the many scents that lurk around a 911 dispatch center. When you work in close proximity with others for long periods of time, you’re bound to run into some strange ones.
Topics: Fun & Morale
5 Instant Stress Relief Ideas for 911 Dispatchers
Posted by A Previous Xybix Employee on Sep 21, 2017 8:44:46 AM
Public safety professionals work in very unique settings, and they experience an intense job flow that most working people are not used to. 911 Dispatchers are always ready and on high-alert for that next phone call. Unlike a typical office job, a 911 Dispatcher cannot always leave their desk to take a walk outside, go down to the lobby for coffee, or check out of work an hour early.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
We at the Johnson County KS Emergency Communications Center pride ourselves on our operations and the technology we have available to use to do our jobs every day. We provide Fire and EMS services, and are a secondary PSAP, providing 911 call taking and dispatching for fire and medical calls, with certified EMD call takers for medical events. We service 10 fire agencies and 2 ambulance agencies, dispatching and managing resources before, during, and after events.
Topics: Dispatch, Fun & Morale
You are basically a superhero. After all, as a 911 dispatcher, you save lives all day every day. Thanks to you and your ability to remain calm during the most trying times, lives are saved on a daily basis.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
3 New Years Resolutions to Help You Achieve Better Health in 2017!
Posted by Heather Brown on Dec 30, 2016 9:14:34 AM
It's that time of the year again! It’s time to start thinking about your New Year's resolutions. I'm sure you all start out the year with great intentions of quitting smoking, exercising more regularly, eating better, etc. We all start out January 1st gung-ho and ready to conquer the world, and we plan to exceed all of our goals! It’s great to be determined, but are we setting ourselves up to fail though? I think if we set reasonable expectations for ourselves and don’t push our limits, keeping New Year's resolutions and creating healthier lifestyles can be achieved.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
3 Ways to Fight Stress and Stay Happy During the Holidays
Posted by Kathleen Utley on Nov 22, 2016 2:17:13 PM
Holidays mean stress for most of us. The kids are out of school; family is knocking at the door. You’re responsible for cooking a 20-pound turkey flawlessly and on-time. Not to mention the decorating, shuffling between family traditions and taking care of grandma. Whoa…deep breath. You’re a 911 dispatcher, you’re used to stress right? No doubt, all of us feel the pressures of the holiday season, so here are three things you can try to help fight stress, stay healthy and stay happy during the holidays.
Topics: Employee Health, Fun & Morale
The Best Health Accessories to Stay Moving at your Dispatch Console
Posted by Ken Carson on Nov 2, 2016 3:24:48 PM
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.
Topics: Employee Health, Accessories, Fun & Morale