Those are the words of our Public Safety Director Wizard Miller describing the horrendous working conditions of our 911 center.
Almost a third of the 122 jobs assigned to the center are vacant. Why is this? It can't be money, because supposedly, salaries are covered by 911 funds charged on phone bills.
Could the reason be piss poor leadership from the top?
The madness worsens.
Click here for more.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
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8 comments:
Instead of the ole "piss poor" leadership at the top lets take a look at the job. What sane person would want to be a 911 operator? The position has ALWAYS had a high turnover rate and you'll find it that way in most of your larger jurisdictions. The people who would be qualified for such a position will balk at the pay, the hours suck, and it's just not worth the headache. As an example if the county came out and started using sworn officers to fill in most of us couldn't get out of there fast enough. You could give me a 20k raise a year and I still wouldn't take the job.
Just saying a stupid remark such as piss poor leadership is bad form and not helpful. I always thought this blog started out as a way to improve this department and be a public voice for those that could not speak. It appears it has degenerated into childish name calling, false information, a multitude of baseless accusations of inepitude towards superior officers, detectives, and patrol officers.
If a citizen was to base his/her sole opinion of our department from reading this blog they would never call for our service. Furthermore who could blame them?
Personally I'm done reading this kind of crap and hope to see this blog revert back to its origin or simply go away.
Seven times the DeKalb County Grand Jury said there was inadequate staffing at 911 call center. Today it is at the worst level ever.
So let's do a Bolton style hiring blitz!......bathroom break....everytime there's an open mike, it sounds like a party or a Housewives of NY/NJ gossip session. Bathroom break......that explains why radio doesn't answer periodically.......no one is listening.
He sure don't sound like a "wiz" to me...
Ohhh yeah, it has finally come out!!! There's more going on too..like some supervisors unable to work a radio to let operators go to restroom..supervisor's signing up for overtime and sitting in the office on the computer or behind position one micro-managing..Someone please investigate this!!! We need help,but the kind of help that will bring about positive changes
I have been an operator for a long time and this is the worse that I have seen it,as far as staffing the truth of the matter is:
1.Everyone CAN NOT do this job!
2.It is stressful at times, not just the calls that come thru but with internal matters..this person doesn't like this person,she said/she did,personalities conflicts,micro-managing,
We all suffer because of a handful of operators who DO NOT PULL THIER LOAD,I can take 3 911 calls to their 1 and we have been here the same amount of time(seriously)it's a shame that we have to monitor each other,then go tell if they are not "in que"(avail for incoming call)I bust my @#$ everyday and it pisses me off that some operators are just riding it with the old slogan " one call that's all" well that's partially correct,however that one alarm call or abandoned vehicle doesn't take 6 mins,get the pertinent information and on to the next call.
About the staffing: Yes Decatur can hire as many people as they like..let's say 30..of that 30 15 will stay,5 won't pass training so we are down to 10,well 10 might come in the room but 4 opers that have been trained will leave so how many people do we have now? 6=worse off from where we started from because we lost 4 call-takers/radio operators so what did we gain..NOTHING..There has got to be a better way,I have an idea but I'm just a peon..it might work it might not work..it's just a suggestion,I don't have the numbers or the times..we have proposals before but of course they were shot down because it benefited the operators and we were HAPPY..yes I'm talkin bout the teams w/the common day being Wednesday..everyone had a weekend off day..we knew for 6 mos what our schedule was,we were able to make childcare arrangements,we could attend school,and most importantly..WE WERE NOT CALLING OUT SICK!!!! Someone please look into this...we will be losing more operators soon.. I can count 4-5..Everyone is in school to get the heck out dodge..it's going to get a lot worse before it get's better..
Anon 2..I can't hear you because 1. the radio consoles have glitches because its of PISS POOR quality and does not work well with the PHONE AND RADIO SYSTEM..hence why we had to go to wireless connections which by the way have extremely LOW VOLUME and because my bladder is screaming EMPTY ME and
Anon 4: YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.. I cant use the bathroom or take a regular 15 minute break OUTSIDE the Comm center like I need to because....some if not all of the supervisors CANNOT work the radio... so Our frustrations with the jacked up system fall on deaf ears. BUT yet.. they are the 1st to sign up for overtime and spend half of it in their office and the otheralf of the time.. I(me myself and I) spend calling back their complaintants.why? because they send in JACKED UP calls with MISSING info and now I have to play radio operator AND call taker at the same time. Anon 5: AMEN I couldnt of said it better myself.. bring back teams..I didnt call off sick AT ATLL during that time... just used my holiday(tear) time on the wednesdays.... and the micro managing...JUST LET ME DO MY JOB with out you running over with your talkie turned sky high and telling me how to do my job when you HEAR several units in my ear.
I know its got to be bad. Each precinct has an ex operator working screening. You took a pay cut to work screening. Are you serious? Can't be that bad. I know they were good operators because I remember them when I was in uniform. The rookies need those with experience to teach them. These are some of the same operators when I hear them on radio you just know its going to be a good day. There are still some good ones up there. How long before they jump ship. The question is "How do you keep your good employees?"
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