Dispatching tips

[titmouse]

Today I am getting trained in dispatch so I can have better understanding of how the machine works in order to become shift commander. Any tips on dispatching? I know that I cannot please everyone on the street. Any pointers?

 

[DrParasite]

1) you can't please everyone on the street
2) your job is to give out the jobs, their job is to go on the job. if either of you don't want to do your job, than seek employment elsewhere.
3) field crews only deal with one call at a time; dispatchers deal with ALL the calls, often at the same time. So if the field units are being run ragged, odds are the calltakers and dispatchers are as well.
4) if the field personnel give the dispatchers attitude for doing their job, than a supervisor should take action. if they don't, it's giving them a green light to be unprofessional.
5) having field units tracked by GPS makes a dispatchers job much easier; sadly, many systems still don't want to spend the money on it. so if dispatchers aren't given the tools to do the job well, it can appear that they are dispatching blind (because they are).

and lastly, dispatchers are human, and do make mistakes. they will cross up units, and send the wrong unit. field units should go on the jobs they are sent to, even if they think another unit is closer. if a field unit objects, they should file an administrative complaint after the call, not ***** about it on the radio. if another unit is closer, and wants to take the job, let them volunteer to and give it to them

 

[titmouse]

Thanks for the input Dr!

 

[EMDispatch]

Everything Dr. said, I'll add:
-You will likely feel overwhelmed, and underwhelmed it all just depends on the level of activity
-Try to keep an ear out for other agency radio channels so you can be aware of evolving incidents.
-Always remember the safety of your crews, keep track of time on scene without contact. If a call doesn't "feel" right try to get PD enroute with the unit
-If you're dispatching blind (We have to) keep notes on unit locations if their not visible in the CAD
-CAD systems Have tons of unique shortcuts and multiple ways of doing the same thing, find the way that works for you
-Splitting your ears between multiple channels is the hardest part, it takes time and experience, and you will still miss things
-Don't be offended if you are pushed out of the way by a more seasoned dispatcher, if hings need to something big happens. Those times are not teachable moments until after the incident is resolved.

There are other more specific tips I could think of, but it would all depend on what type of system (Primary PSAP, Secondary PSAP, IFT) and what roles(dispatcher, or call taker and dispatcher you have.

 

[titmouse]

It's a private compan. Ift and some er calls from alfs

 

[EMDispatch]

Cool, have fun.
Also:
-Make sure you verify the info, (address, pt info, etc.) callers will mess, and neglect to tell you things special required info
-CAD systems will crash, always be ready to work off the grid

 

[Tigger]

I'm assuming that since you are on the ambulance already that you understand radio etiquette and can think before you speak, at least ever so briefly. Our dispatchers do not do that and it is extremely frustrating. They constantly stumble over words and say non-sensical or non-pertinent things. Or they talk outrageously slow with crap tons of pauses between phrasing. Both are are frustrating, but I guess if I had to pick, talking too slow is not the worst thing.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Don't let crews push you around. You have all the information, not individual crews, so you make the decisions right or wrong.

Also, don't eat the microphone like it's a... well never mind, just use good etiquette.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Don't let crews push you around. You have all the information, not individual crews, so you make the decisions right or wrong.

Also, don't eat the microphone like it's a... well never mind, just use good etiquette.

Dispatch always has all the information and always does the correct thing? You must have an amazing dispatch system. In all of the systems I am fimiliar with this is not the case.

 

[Tigger]

Dispatch always has all the information and always does the correct thing? You must have an amazing dispatch system. In all of the systems I am fimiliar with this is not the case.

They have more information than the individual crews...

 

[DesertMedic66]

They have more information than the individual crews...

About what? For 911 dispatching in my area if I scan the fire departments channel I have all the information our dispatch has. It's not hard to find out status levels and figuring out what unit is closer (Sometimes we can make a better choice on what unit to send because we tend to know traffic patterns).

 

[NomadicMedic]

Not when you've got mobile CAD.You've got the exact same information.

But I do agree... Pissing off the dispatchers is always a bad idea. I believe in coffee/donuts /pizza/ice cream bribes.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Dispatch always has all the information and always does the correct thing? You must have an amazing dispatch system. In all of the systems I am fimiliar with this is not the case.

I said right or wrong. The point is, dispatch should be coordinating the system not field crews. They might not have "all the information" but they certainly have more than any crew.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I said right or wrong. The point is, dispatch should be coordinating the system not field crews. They might not have "all the information" but they certainly have more than any crew.

Depending on your system they may not certainly have more info then field crews...

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Sure they do. You're telling me you never sneak around under the CAD while clearing it through dispatch?

 

[JPINFV]

• Crews know when they're being screwed with by dispatch. Running one crew from one side of the county to the other while everyone else goes undispatched gets noticed, and will generate comments that aren't nearly as unprofessional as dispatch screwing one crew.
  
• Crews also know when one unit is sitting around at station all day long because the dispatched plays favorites. While the comments don't go out over the radio, the rumors are much worse.
• Don't complain or tell a crew to hurry up because they're late when they were just dispatched and it was already 5 minutes after pickup time. We're not the ones running/ruining the system, you are.

 

[okiemedic]

We were once posted in Ft worth and another unit was in Dallas. The Dallas truck was dispatched to a facility 100 feet from where we were posted. We were dispatched to a facility they were already posted on. We told dispatch this. They argued. Both units called out on scene. To each others calls. Dispatch couldn't figure out what was going on.

Don't do that...

 

[DesertMedic66]

Sure they do. You're telling me you never sneak around under the CAD while clearing it through dispatch?

We really don't get to sneak around. We have a 1 miles radius to do whatever we want without having to tell dispatch.

 

[EMDispatch]

You have all the information

Just to clarify this anymore... It seems most people with facebook and instagram have more info then we do.

Because you know the first step anymore is to post pictures, text your friends, and then call 911 complaining why it is taking so long... Then they hang up after barely giving an address and absolutely no valuable info. Or better yet the brilliant ones that keep attempting to use text to 911, relieve the bounce back message, and still try.

 

[WestMetroMedic]

*many of my references are focused on my agency, but are salient in this context.

I learned more about why the "ridiculous" things that dispatch does happen when I took my EMD course than I had in 4 years as a medic previously. Everyone plays the "let's avoid litigation" game.
Street crews do ridiculous things and make mistakes. Dispatchers do ridiculous things and make mistakes. We all do a lot of right things though. We are human.
95% of the time, Communications are a well oiled machine, but occasionally things happen. We both work at a gruelling pace and have differently stressful jobs.
Paramedics: 2 Paramedics, 12 hours, 8-15 911 calls to handle, no microwave in sight.
Dispatch: 3 people handling 20 911 units, receive calls from 8 PSAPs, 700,000 residents, 14 municipalities, handle patient reports from about 100 different ambulances going to 22 possible destinations.

Dear everyone with access to a PTT,
P25 does not transmit snark and sarcasm very well.
Brevity is virtuous.

Why can't we all be friends?