As a child, like most, my favorite Holiday was Christmas! I always looked forward to running into my parent’s room Christmas morning to let them know that Santa had arrived. At times, we woke them up so early that my Mom and Dad would tell my sister and I to go back to bed. I guess 3 am was a little early for them. And yes, I do remember sitting in bed from 3 to 7 am wide awake in anticipation and those four hours literally felt like eternity!

Not only is dispatching one tough job on you physically, but during the Holidays it can be especially difficult, when it seems like everyone else has time off, but not you. As dispatchers, you are still stuck working those long shifts and crappy hours no matter if Santa is coming or not. (Quick note, I am not a dispatcher nor could I do your job, but I have heard a lot of good ideas.) 

Here are a few ideas that could help give you a little boost this holiday season: 

Now that we’re in the mid-swing of the holiday season a lot of us are dreading stepping on the scale. But there’s some good news; according to Doctor Deborah Balfanz the average American gains only one pound over the holidays. That averages out to about 100 calories per day over a month long period.

Giving gifts to public safety and 911 this holiday season? Here are some cleaver and fun ideas to get you in the holiday gift-giving mood. Selecting a gift for someone can be tough, so I’ve come up with what I think are four common categories of persons’ in the 911 dispatch world and what he/she might like.

With Thanksgiving all around us, we are called to be thankful and grateful. We all have things we are grateful for in our personal lives, but what about work? So I started thinking what here at Xybix am I thankful for? Some are the traditional things to be thankful for and others are a bit of a stretch. But either way, I figured I’d share my list with you, in hopes that you too can find something to be grateful for in your lives either at work or at home. As hard as I tried, I can’t rank these in any particular order, here are the things I am thankful for:

Motivation and overall morale in the dispatch center are difficult to maintain and with the encroaching holidays, one thing is for certain, 911 dispatchers are called to be at the top of their game. Holidays can be a very busy time for 911; burnout, sickness and just genuine lack of motivation can be huge problems causing 911 centers everywhere to struggle. Nothing can replace giving up time with family or friends over the holidays. So, what can you do to help motivate and maybe inspire your dispatchers this holiday season?

Treats are pretty common around a 911 Comm Center or any office during the Halloween season.  So I thought, maybe we could add a healthy spin to the treats we all know we will eat. Bringing healthy ideas and initiatives to your next office pot luck or event gathering doesn’t have to be scary. It can be fun and rewarding for both you and your co-workers. Here are three phases to a creepy plan of bringing better health into a workplace near you.

I don’t know about you, but, love the idea of packing a healthy meal on the go! So why not pack a mason jar? This antiquated food vessel makes for quick and easy grab and go. The best part is, you don’t have to worry about forgetting any of the ingredients and its leak proof! (Because I SPILL EVERYTHING (no seriously)). There are so many healthy ideas from salads to soups, quiches, desserts. What I really wanted to know was, how. How...? How do I do that?

Trade show floors can be intimidating and a bit overwhelming. After all, APCO 2015 is one of the largest, if not the largest, trade shows for public safety professionals all year. And, whether you’re a Supervisor, Director, Dispatcher, or Manager, odds are that you’ve got a pretty busy week planned for Washington, DC. Hustling from one session to another, and obviously coming back to your agency with some key take-aways! Trust me, we know the drill.

So, let us help you by giving you 3 great reasons why you shouldn’t come by Xybix’s booth at APCO:

I grew up just south of Denver and have spent a lot of time in the city. Denver is a great host city for NENA 2015, as it’s easy to find great restaurants, bars, and entertainment within walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center. If you can pull some extra time off, it would be well worth the sightseeing to head into the mountains.