Xybix's Blog

“I’m on the phone!”

Never has that phrase been more important than when you’re taking a 911 call where your every bit of attention needs to be to the caller on the other end of the phone. You’re responsible for asking questions, gathering information on the emergency as well as dispatching fire, police or an ambulance. Heck, that’s a lot of pressure! Not to mention, you’re also being recorded on the line.

Poor ergonomics can have serious health consequences. But what constitute poor ergonomics? Most of us are probably doing something right this moment that could be causing harm to our bodies. Let's take a look at some common ergonomic issues, how they might be impacting our health and some best practices you can start implementing right now:

You’ve heard a lot lately about Xybix's new Eagle Line of Dispatch Consoles, but what exactly is the “Eagle Difference”? Let us explain.

What’s the Eagle Difference?

Can you picture that black edge that practically EVERY piece of industrial furniture you’ve seen since you were in grade school has? You know, that stuff that looks like it belongs on a bumper car?

Well, it’s gone. G-O-N-E! Gone with the wind! You get the picture.

The end of the year means budget submittals are upon us! Oh, and the HOLIDAYS...yes, I said it! Maybe you don't need new dispatch consoles, but you want to revamp your Comm Center and give it a refresh. Adding some small things to your center is a great way to boost morale.  So, with the upcoming holidays and unavoidable chaos here are 4 ways you can spruce up your center without breaking the bank:

There are four types of lighting in a 911 dispatch center. There isn’t a right or wrong way to go about it, and each center utilizes a different approach when it comes to illumination. Similarly, each shift will use lighting differently based on the preferences of dispatchers and the time of day. Heck, even each dispatcher will have a different opinion on which lighting option is best for them.

If you’re a 911 dispatcher, you’ve probably experienced at least one, if not ALL, of the following:

• “HA! Did you see what happened on Jerry Springer!?” or “WHO’S YOUR DADDY?” (meaning loud noises and someone shouting )
• “HEY! HEY!” followed by “WHAT?!” (shouting across the room)
• “HAHAHAHA! Did you hear the one about the sock?” (terrible jokes and more loud noises)
• “WHIP! Do the Nae-Nae!” (spontaneous dancing in the dispatch center with the bass thumpin’)

I was listening to a Podcast interview with Robert Downey Jr. the other day, and the interviewer asked him how he goes about choosing his roles and knowing he’s going the right direction with what he does choose to do. Downey responded by saying that people who have 30 choices when choosing a fabric, for example, will never be 100 percent confident in their choice and will always think they could have done better. When given only three choices, people tend to be completely confident in what they chose, why they chose it and at the end of the day, feeling like they got the best bang for their buck. He’s picky! Downey’s response is so applicable in many arenas, but for the topic of this blog, I thought it was especially poignant — and not just because he looks awesome in that Iron Man suit.

I’m always shocked by the number of dispatchers I talk to who have never heard of bias lighting. Typically, when I demo this feature on a workstation, I tend to get quite a few “oohhs” and “aahhs” (a similar reaction to watching a fireworks display). But, not everyone has the opportunity to see this feature live during a product demo, and so for those individuals, this blog is for you.

Bias lighting is, in the simplest terms, backlighting. Backlighting emits a soft white glow behind your computer monitor(s). You might have seen similar techniques deployed on furniture displays at your local IKEA. Yes, it seems as though backlighting is catching on in many industries — and for good reason. So why am I bias about bias lighting and why should some such as a 911 dispatcher care? Two very important answers come to mind:

The type of workstation lighting you choose can have a dramatic impact on your work environment as well as the overall costs associated with maintaining your workstation into the future. There are a variety of lighting elements to consider when you are looking at updating or replacing your lighting. To begin, we need to briefly discuss the most widely used types of lighting available in today's market.