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.

There is a growing body of research that suggests your physical state affects your mental state. Dr. Erik Pepper at San Francisco State University has researched the relationship between posture and mood and has found significant results between posture and subjective energy. He found that “when people experience a lower subjective energy, they feel less capable of performing a task”. 

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.