Let’s be honest, life is stressful. Falling behind on tasks adds to that stress. With work stress and personal stress, some days it just becomes too much to handle. Let’s take a look at how we can reduce stress by becoming more productive.

Being more productive is something we all can relate to. Who doesn’t want to accomplish more in a day? The one thing we all have in common is time: 24 hours in a day. How do we maximize those hours to get to a point of exceptional daily productivity — the kind that will make our colleagues jealous, our bosses proud and our friends secretly hate us?

If durability is the most important item to you when shopping for a new dispatch console, look no further than Xybix’s new Anvil line of dispatch consoles. After a comprehensive analysis of 20^th century PSAP's, Xybix has simplified the 911 console with cutting edge technology that had previously complicated so many things. 

What intrigued you to read this blog? Maybe three words stood out to you: “communications center” and “K-9.” We all know that a dog is man’s best friend, and we all understand that animals are a part of our everyday lives. Who doesn't like to walk through the front door after a long day at work and have your best friend there to greet you? Animals provide us with unconditional love and happiness. They also allow you to forget about any problems or stress you might be experiencing in your life. So why not bring a K-9 to work with you?

Working as a 911 dispatch supervisor, I understand the stress we all deal with on a minute-by-minute basis. I also understand your department or organization might not be on board with a K-9 in your center. However, what about the K-9 you currently have working in your own organization? When our K-9’s visit, it's amazing to see how our 911 dispatchers relax and interact with them. Any stress they might have experienced during their current shift is all forgotten during that 10-minute visit. Some dispatchers enjoy the visits so much, they bring in dog treats and store them in their personnel pedestals.

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.

With “love” in the air this Valentine’s Day, we thought we could share some ways you can show the “love” to your local 911 dispatchers. Often times, 911 dispatchers are only means of response to a scary and/or life or death situation. A dispatcher’s job means responding promptly and professionally to any emergency throughout the year. (Yes, this includes giving up weekends, holidays and birthdays to work a very demanding and stressful job). Still not convinced of the need to say thanks? Try reading the poem “Dispatcher” by Alan Burton.

When you start thinking about your 911 Comm Center and those little things you'd really like, you might start to come up with a wish list. Let's face it, everyone has a wish list! The focus is usually on the basics: height adjustable workstations, monitor mounting, cable management, and CPU storage. You've been good all year, right? So ask yourself - what about those little extras on your wish list? What do you really 'want for Christmas?'

As I was browsing my news feed on Facebook one night, I came across a post from a friend of mine who made a statement about Text to 911 in his area. However, the local radio station had stated that all university campuses in his area were now Text to 911 capable. But the radio station went on to urge people NOT to use this service, rather dial 9-1-1 on their phones. This seemed contradictory to me, with this new service available, why would you not use it? So I decided to find out the facts of Text to 911.

With Turkey Day upon us, it’s hard not to get caught up in the mess of things. “Last chance” this, “30% off” that, the ultimate “Black Friday” door-buster deal…

When the mall crowds pick up, people start frying turkeys, traveling to grandmas, and families come together, inevitably there will be an increase in 911 emergency calls. Lest we forget that there are several people who don’t get to spend the holiday(s) with their families, friends or loved ones. Yes, 911 dispatchers! 

Staying healthy in the stressful world of EMS communications can be a daunting task. It sometimes seems that every facet of being a 911 dispatcher is designed to keep you comfortably stationary and working at a high efficiency. Coincidentally, the many improvements in ergonomics and layout design have unwittingly contributed to the lack of movement among emergency dispatchers, which has been identified as a leading cause of fitness deterioration. At the same time, being physically fit and well hydrated can positively contribute to our ability to perform in these environments for long hours at a time. When it comes to the health in the 911 dispatch industry, it seems we just can’t win.

All of us have days where you can hardly find time to think, let alone squeeze in a workout. The phones won’t stop ringing, deadlines are looming, and somehow you choose today to leave your lunch on your kitchen counter. When days like these happen, you tend to forget all about the treadmill or the bicycle desks that your company has been nice enough to purchase. Heck, sometimes you even forget to stand up!

Xybix Designer, Rebecca Cassidy and I happen to be grouped together in an office panel system, and we have decided not to let those hectic days/weeks get the best of us. So once an hour throughout each workday, we get up and do something active for about 30 seconds. When you’re logging a 9-hour workday, these small moments add up to about 4 minutes and 30 seconds of overall activity. Not bad!