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!

As the Director of Engineering at Xybix, Troy Parson has found that some of the most satisfying times in his life have been when he is volunteering or giving back to my community. "I’ve always been passionate about philanthropy, so when I was considering what to blog about, I decided to check in with the rest of the Xybix team to see how these incredible individuals volunteer their time. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many Xybix staffers are committed to making a difference in their communities!" Here are just a few of the many ways that our team gives back: