I titled this post part 1 because I anticipate that I will write more about this in the future, but was ready to start putting some words out there!
So my time in dispatch is coming to an end and I’m preparing to hang up my headset after 4 1/2 years. I have incredibly mixed emotions about this, which is why I’m not sure how much I will get down tonight, and how much will come later.
I’m sure many of you will be shocked, others maybe not so much. I’m also sure that many will think “wow 4 1/2 years isn’t long”. It’s not, yet in this field, it very much is.
I am positive that I have never loved a job so much. I am positive I will never find another job like it. I am positive that I will miss it immensely. BUT, I am also positive I’ve never hated a job so much, or been so exhausted, or been so mentally drained.
It takes a very special person to do this job. We are crazy, we have a strange sense of humor, we laugh when it’s not appropriate. We have to, it is how we survive. We’ve heard people take their last breath, we’ve heard officers yell out in need of assistance, we’ve heard bad stuff. We truly are the first responder; though the government does not classify us that way.
We’re the first voice heard in a time of chaos, we are the one who gets the information, sends the help, gives the instructions, and packs everything we heard away in a nice little box and move right along to the next call.
24 hours a day, 365 days a year, usually 12 hour shifts at a time, often many, many days in a row…way too many. We don’t see our spouses, our kids, our parents, our friends. Our answer to almost every invite is “I’m working” or “I’m on call”.
When I was growing up my dad was a volunteer firefighter in our small town and my mom was a volunteer dispatcher with the rescue squad. This was before 911, when she literally answered the phone at the building. She’s a lifetime member there, and I’m so proud of that! I always wanted to do this job, I even went thru the entire hiring process many years ago but decided to turn it down since my children were very young and the schedule was so hard.
I finally chased my dream though in 2015 and started in a county that I knew nothing about. It made it even more challenging because not only did I have to learn the job, I had to learn the geography of the entire county. At that time the jurisdiction I started in only dispatched for fire/ems which was fine with me. I’m the daughter of a firefighter and still a sucker for the big red truck!
In 2016 I found myself working in the county where I was born and raised. Here geography wasn’t a problem, but adding in three police departments to the fire/ems whew what a big change! I was excited to further my career, but man was I terrified of those police radios! Even after completing training on two of them, I was still scared to death for the final one. In fact, when I found out it was time to train on it, I cried. Seriously! And I don’t cry easy. I’m pretty sure my trainer had no clue what to say after getting to know me for 9 months and knowing my personality, he just turned and walked away like a very wise man!
That was two years ago and you’d never believe that was me. That same radio is now my absolute favorite and the one I request to work as often as possible. In fact my supervisors have been great and have been letting me work it this entire week. It’s usually very busy and for that reason it’s just not the favorite for most people.
Because I fell in love with this radio I now have an even greater appreciation for law enforcement officers. I’ve always appreciated and respected what they do. But when your job requires that you spend 12 hours doing everything in your power to make sure that they are safe on the street, and you’ve “walked” with them through so many dangerous situations, it will change the way you view them. I’ve also made so many great friendships that I will treasure long after this job is over.
There are many things that I walk away saying I’ve never done, some I’m glad of, some make me sad. This week I got the opportunity to do something really cool though, and I’m so proud I got to be a part of it. We had an officer retire after 24 1/2 years and I got the honor of doing his last call. It was a moment that I won’t ever forget and one that I’m so glad I got to experience before leaving here.
I have 4 nights left in this job, it is very bittersweet. For now, I’ll end part 1 with a link to the last call video…..
~Carla~
Arise and Glow 