Dispatch Hororr Story...HELP!

[CrashCrew]

This might take a minute to read. But please do and then post your advice. Our patrol division NEEDS it!

I'm not going to pick on dispatchers here so don't be alarmed. The other night another officer and I responded to a subject with weapon call. We got on scene and located the area in which we believed the subjects were hiding. So I call for 10-33 (hold non-emerg. traffic). I get NO response from dispatch. I make the request again and recieve no response. So I am forced to dispatch the request myself. ('Units in service hold non-emerg. traffic for units on Hillside.')

Obviously, I was alarmed by this. So after I cleared the call, I headed to the department. I went into the dispatch center and asked the dispatcher what had happened. She told me that she didn't know what 10-33 meant!!!!!!!!!!

So here is the bottom line. This is typical for our agency's dispatchers. This type of scenario has been repeated time and time again. I don't believe, however, that it is their fault. They don't get the proper training. I have documented these problems and the administration blows them off. The entire patrol division is fed up. We document and document, but no changes have been made. SO OFFICERS OF THE WORLD....HELP. I'm just a joe-grunt street cop. What can I do? Is there any recourse out there? Share your wisdom.

[deputy x 2]

Have your supervisor or higher up talk with their supervisor.

Perhaps a "cheat sheet" taped to their desk would be appropriate. Is this dispatcher in training?

Bottom line is to look out for yourself. Your beat partners should have heard your dispatch and gave you the airtime needed.

Be safe.

[Guams]

Perhaps a "cheat sheet" taped to their desk would be appropriate. Is this dispatcher in training?

This is what I was going to recommend. Have a list of all the 10-codes placed at the desk of each dispatcher.

How many dispatchers do you have on at one time? The county in which I work usually has 4 on at any given time. The county just got two new dispatchers and if there is something they don't know/can't handle, one of the experienced dispatchers will handle the call.

[Seventy2002]

She told me that she didn't know what 10-33 meant!!!!!!!!!!

Yet another example of why we we're being encouraged to use plain English (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/10_Codes_and_Plain_English_154411_7.pdf) in radio communications.

[Mannix]

This might take a minute to read. But please do and then post your advice. Our patrol division NEEDS it!

I'm not going to pick on dispatchers here so don't be alarmed. The other night another officer and I responded to a subject with weapon call. We got on scene and located the area in which we believed the subjects were hiding. So I call for 10-33 (hold non-emerg. traffic). I get NO response from dispatch. I make the request again and recieve no response. So I am forced to dispatch the request myself. ('Units in service hold non-emerg. traffic for units on Hillside.')

Obviously, I was alarmed by this. So after I cleared the call, I headed to the department. I went into the dispatch center and asked the dispatcher what had happened. She told me that she didn't know what 10-33 meant!!!!!!!!!!



So here is the bottom line. This is typical for our agency's dispatchers. This type of scenario has been repeated time and time again. I don't believe, however, that it is their fault. They don't get the proper training. I have documented these problems and the administration blows them off. The entire patrol division is fed up. We document and document, but no changes have been made. SO OFFICERS OF THE WORLD....HELP. I'm just a joe-grunt street cop. What can I do? Is there any recourse out there? Share your wisdom.


Don't you folks have training or do you just hire them in and hand over the headset? :rolleyes:

[sgttom]

my question too.

Don't you folks have training or do you just hire them in and hand over the headset? :rolleyes:


great argument for plain english here but even so,

short term - cheat sheet posted

long term - take on a project with the Comm. Center Supervisor / Manager or a SGT and develope a Dispatch Training Program. Get a copy of your FTO program and adjust / tailor it for Dispatch / Comm. Center personnel.

Introduction to Comm. Center
Comm Center shift protocol
CAD / Radio operation
Radio Codes
Incident Protocol
Dispatch Note taking
Call taking
Dispatch duties
Debrief after critical incidents
Customer Service
Handling angry callers
Hanlding mental cases / calls
Handling In progress calls
Dispatch Ride a long program (1/2 shift)
etc.


training, training, training.


best of luck.

[exComptonCop]

I'm sure there must be a logical explanation(although for the life of me I can't think of one) but is there any reason your dispatcher couldn't have ask "what is a 10-33?" :confused:

[mavriktu]

I was wondering what my dispatcher does on her days off! She goes to SW Mo.:rolleyes:

[IMachU]

We have a BOOK in dispatch that explains what to do during certain types of calls/incidents. I know this - because when we have a pursuit, containment, etc., I can hear them turning pages while they are transmitting. It slows them down to a crawl when they rely on the BOOK. Cheat sheets would be better, or even flash cards.

Have an officer work in dispatch (depending on deployment), and have dispatchers ride in the field. Sometimes it's just a matter of the dispatcher not understanding what's important to you in the field, and you not understanding what goes on behind the mic.

When all else fails, write up the specific incidents in detail, and get copies of the tapes if possible. Forward those to your supervisor, along with a recommendation to fix the issue. Keep a copy (in case things go south). As a last resort, get your POA involved due to officer safety issues.

What would be the best advice as far as I can see, would be to see if there is a policy manual and training manual for dispatchers. If not, create one. Go to surrounding, similar agencies and get copies of theirs and make it fit your department. Create a dispatcher training program (kinda like FTO for dispatchers) where they must be "signed off" on each phase. That way they are fully documented on each training phase. If they are not up to par, then the department has a leg to stand on. Also, the dispatchers can't retort with, "I didn't know what a 10-33 was."

Good luck!!

[Seventy2002]

We have a BOOK in dispatch that explains what to do during certain types of calls/incidents. I know this - because when we have a pursuit, containment, etc., I can hear them turning pages while they are transmitting. It slows them down to a crawl when they rely on the BOOK. Cheat sheets would be better, or even flash cards.

Our central dispatch agency has a book the thickness of an unabridged dictionary, with a procedure for everything. There are no 10 codes but the approved phrases and syntax are every bit as rigid.

Such documents strike me as CYA, a substitute for hiring the right people and training them properly. A dispatcher should have the procedure for hot calls down pat, let them thumb through the book to figure out parking complaints and lost bicycles.

[nobody33]

I'm sure there must be a logical explanation(although for the life of me I can't think of one) but is there any reason your dispatcher couldn't have ask "what is a 10-33?" :confused:

And there it is. If she doesn't know an important code like that, your agency has zero training. Or the trainer was asleep. There is probably not to much you can change about that. If your agency is to stupid or backwoods to train their dispatchers now, it won't be long before someone gets killed and your agency is sued.

My main concern is more that the dispatcher wasn't smart enough to just ask. If she doesn't have the smarts or sense to ask a question when the fats in the fire, then no matter how much training she receives she will never be a decent dispatcher. That's where the testing process is supposed to weed people out who lack basic common sense. So to change things you need to fix the hiring process for dispatchers, the training process, and get their supervisors to care.

Good luck with that.

[Taylor1430]

Have your supervisor or higher up talk with their supervisor.

Perhaps a "cheat sheet" taped to their desk would be appropriate. Is this dispatcher in training?

Bottom line is to look out for yourself. Your beat partners should have heard your dispatch and gave you the airtime needed.

Be safe.

+1

We have similar issues with our dispatchers and the officers rely on each other. I've heard officers call out a traffic stop only to get no answer from dispatch. An officer will key up and tell them to go with their traffic at least that way we know where they are at if it hits the fan.

Similar to your 10-33, we use 10-3 to clear the air. I recently went on a call with a neighbor dispute where one party had a shotgun. I call 10-23 (on scene) and request a 10-3. The dispatcher 10-4's me. About 15 seconds later, the same dispatcher starts dispatching a seperate call. This while I am trying to deal with a guy in front of me holding a shotgun. I raised a stink about it, like you, and it went nowhere.

[SRT936]

+1

We have similar issues with our dispatchers and the officers rely on each other. I've heard officers call out a traffic stop only to get no answer from dispatch. An officer will key up and tell them to go with their traffic at least that way we know where they are at if it hits the fan.

Similar to your 10-33, we use 10-3 to clear the air. I recently went on a call with a neighbor dispute where one party had a shotgun. I call 10-23 (on scene) and request a 10-3. The dispatcher 10-4's me. About 15 seconds later, the same dispatcher starts dispatching a seperate call. This while I am trying to deal with a guy in front of me holding a shotgun. I raised a stink about it, like you, and it went nowhere.

Unfortunately, this is not a unique problem. Not long ago, My partner and I arrived on scene to an occupied burglary in progress. Just before we went on scene, dispatch tells us that the caller can still hear the intruder in the house. We stack up on the door, push it open to start the clearing, and the dispatcher decides that would be good time to run pager checks over the air. :mad: Nothing like trying to make an entry and have your radio scream out with tones. I, too, raised a stink about it and, as with you guys, nothing was done about it.

[StudChris]

Our biggest problems around here are dispatchers not answering the radio (sleep maybe?), dispatchers not paying attention ("Unit calling?" "So and so unit was that you?"), and dispatchers just talking a lot. It sucks when a dispatcher is reading an entire story over the air when it's definately not needed... and you're trying to go 10-97 to a fight in progress. For the most part though, the issues we have are more annoying than dangerous (for the most part)

[Tazer101]

It sucks when a dispatcher is reading an entire story over the air when it's definately not needed... and you're trying to go 10-97 to a fight in progress

It really sucks when officers read an entire story over the air about the report they just took for damage to a rose bush. and I'm trying to put out a armed robbery.

Our biggest problems around here are dispatchers not answering the radio (sleep maybe?), dispatchers not paying attention ("Unit calling?" "So and so unit was that you?"),

Yeah and officers never not answer their radios.

Complaints like that go both ways. I'm not saying different agenices don't have problems in dispatch. But remember not only do we have to monitor the radio (not just one channel.) but also answer 911 and non emergency calls for service. And if like my agency we haft to take bond payments and paperwork,ticket payments after hours ect. Again no one is perfect and yes there are bad dispatchers and people that have no business working the radio. But officers are not perfect either.

[Stephan9C1]

Making mistakes is human. I met patrol officers where you wonder yourself how they made it into service and I met dispatchers that were unable to do their work properly. BTW our dispatchers are all sworn officers so they (usually) know the codes and abbreviations.

[Taylor1430]

It really sucks when officers read an entire story over the air about the report they just took for damage to a rose bush. and I'm trying to put out a armed robbery.



Yeah and officers never not answer their radios.

Complaints like that go both ways. I'm not saying different agenices don't have problems in dispatch. But remember not only do we have to monitor the radio (not just one channel.) but also answer 911 and non emergency calls for service. And if like my agency we haft to take bond payments and paperwork,ticket payments after hours ect. Again no one is perfect and yes there are bad dispatchers and people that have no business working the radio. But officers are not perfect either.

I don't think anyone here is saying all dispatchers are bad...we have quite a few good ones. The problem I have with poor dispatchers is OFFICER SAFETY. An officer not answering the radio will not get a dispatcher killed. I have rolled up on a crime in progress and attempted to call out with it do have radio not answer me...just to have somebody else tell me that the dispatcher working the channel was watching TV and totally missed my transmission.

Her argument was that I did not call radio properly because I immediately called my unit number, location and what I had all in one transmission (the proper way is to call your unit number and allow them to asnwer you). The problem is if I roll up on a domestic assault in progress in the middle of an intersection, I may have to get it all out in one transmission so I can stop the assault. In this case, the male half was armed and our dispatcher missed the entire transmission. I'm not referring to me speaking too fast and her not understanding me...she was completely unaware that I had keyed up and said anything at all. Other officers heard it and it was on the tapes, and a civilian who was in radio at the time heard my transmission.

[psotyrone]

our department trains our dispatchers until there good or they fail out. a couple of months in a class for book work, a ride along or two, a couple of months with a trainer over their shoulder and then a couple of months on their own with a trainer listening. if after that then they get there own chair to rotate through. over all training is key. i remember when i was in training so when i hear a "fish" on the channel i give them the respect i was shown. we are human everyone makes mistakes.

my department is big enough we have multiple dispatchers on several channels, you know when you are going to have a nice day and then there are days you know you are going to work for your money.

we have good dispatchers and then we have DISPATCHERS. i know when i hear a particular dispatcher a horrible day seems like a great day. but then there was ONE. i went to back up an officer for a suspicious subject, i think, can't remember exactly, however about 30 minutes prior to the call i discovered my portable radio was somehow changing on its own between main channel and tac. i told the dispatcher, obvious safety issue. from previous experience i know our dispatchers have multiple channels they can listen to and monitor. so i m thinking no big deal.

anyway i go to the call and he goes in through the back and we make contact with the residents. i take two steps in and i hear a loud thump on the back porch metal roof and then watch a guy jump down into the next yard and start running. so like the new officer i was, i gave chase. i'm calling out with it and nothing. still running and calling out and nothing. multiple streets later still nothing. next thing i hear is one of my guys key up on his mobile car radio "your on tac." i try to switch up and nothing. so i can hear him keying up on the main and finally everyone one is coming. in the mean time i now have the guy at gun point under a deck, i see air overhead and can u guess it no dispatch on tac still.

i was hot, but still kept my cool. now mind you this isn't dispatch's only oops. multiple officers reporting other officer safety issues. so i made my call and explained my situation and the dispatch supervisor stated dispatch should have known better cause i told dispatch, eventhough, it is not SOP to have to monitor it, but should have cause of radio issue.

i took the radio up for repair to find out the electronics controlling the toggle switch were done. i ended up with a new radio and one less dispatch. from my understanding dispatch was let go cause of all of the mistakes in probationary status. i don't want to see anyone loose there job, but talk about safety issues.:eek:

[Tazer101]

An officer not answering the radio will not get a dispatcher killed.

True,but it could get another officer killed,or someone else because they were not paying attention to their radios. I don't believe everyone here is trashing dispatchers.But I have also seen and heard (not necessarily from this forum.) Officers talk to and treat dispatchers like they are beneath them. More officers and dispatchers need to relax and understand everyone is human,and take the time to learn alittle about each others job,it would go along way towards helping relations with each other.

[Yankee_1]

We Use Plain Language. Only Have A Few Codes, None Officer Saftey Related. We Just Tell Dispatcher To "hold The Air". I Never Understood Why Law Enforcement Uses Codes. If We Have A Domestic, The Dispatcher Puts It Out As A "family Trouble". A Burglary Is A Burglary. No Confusion.

[GrayState]

duplicate post.

[GrayState]

If We Have A Domestic, The Dispatcher Puts It Out As A "family Trouble". A Burglary Is A Burglary. No Confusion.

I might have worked in the same area as you before... they called it a family trouble. They still call them domestics where I am right now :)

[Guams]

I might have worked in the same area as you before... they called it a family trouble. They still call them domestics where I am right now :)

Still a domestic where I'm at, and dispatch is pretty good at clarifying whether it's verbal or physical.

As for holding non-emergent traffic, for us it's "dispatch, close channel 1." Generally, they'll also "remind" those still listening on channel 1 that it's closed every 20-30 minutes, depending on the length of the incident.

[Gene L]

After recommendations from Homeland Security regarding 10-codes, we seldom use them except in instances where you don't want a bunch of unwanted people showing up. There can be a lot of cross-jurisdictional confusion, since there's not a ten-code standard that is recognized all over.

There's nothing wrong with issuing your own 10-33. In fact, if the dispatchers are covered up with calls, you should be the one to issue it. But you should give a reason. I feel it's better and more emphatic to give the order, (10-33 hold non-emerg. traffic) than just giving the code number.

I never liked the ten-codes anyway, as they are some pretty obscure ones out there, although 10-33 isn't one of them.

We used to have a scrambler on our radio, a long time ago, Code 17, I think it was. It would scramble the message so you could only hear it on another car radio equipped with a de-scrambler. It did NOT work with a portable, ad as I result, I walked into a bank with my portable where the dipatcher was giving out the robbery details on the scrambler in that very bank.

It was a false alarm, but I raised hell with the dispatcher anyway. I mean, if a guy is robbing a bank, he KNOWS he's robbing the bank, and even if he can't hear the details, if you suddenly go code, he's going to get suspicious.

I don't know if it was policy, or if he thought it was policy. The fact that I could have unknowing walked into a bank robbery with a portable in one hand and my paycheck in the other was enough to get my attention.

[SouthFL247]

If the dispatcher doesn't have all of the 10 codes memorized then why don't they have a code sheet in front of them for reference? There is no exception for them not knowing any of the 10 codes. That should be grounds for termination. It is a complete officer safety issue. We have the same problem at our department and it happens on a consistent basis.

[johnnyradar]

one of our dispatchers is a certified paranoid head case. He's always freaking out on the radio, giving out wrong information, telling us the tag we ran comes back to a driver thats sus/rev but is really valid. Its a nightmare working with this particular dispather. Don't ask me how he/she still works there, its one of the many many problems we have where I work.

[SouthFL247]

one of our dispatchers is a certified paranoid head case. He's always freaking out on the radio, giving out wrong information, telling us the tag we ran comes back to a driver thats sus/rev but is really valid. Its a nightmare working with this particular dispather. Don't ask me how he/she still works there, its one of the many many problems we have where I work.

Haha, we have the same exact problem with every one of our dispatchers, even the dispatch supervisor. It is completely frustrating. We have to repeat tags and locations on traffic stops all the time. Also, on several occasions, our dispatchers have overlook active warrants and other important facts about driver/passengers such as criminal past. It's a complete joke, I feel your frustration.

[Taylor1430]

Had another one the other night....get a call for an intrusion alarm. Get there and am checking the building and see a guy inside who begins running around. I call out on the radio that it is a burglary in progress and to send me more units....then no reply from a dispatcher. Other officers heard it and were coming my way. One officer keyed up and asked the dispatcher what my location was. The dispatcher calls me and says to 10-9 (repeat) my location...uh, its at the address of the alarm call you just sent me to.

After BG runs around in the building, he pops up on the roof and takes a jump. Now I am in a foot chase...about 1/2 way through the chase, said dispatcher keys up and dispatches a unit to a parking complaint. This is while I am calling out the footchase.

Apparently she never heard me calling out the footchase. These are the kind of officer safety issues that tick me off. If I request more units, please send me more units...I'm not calling then just because I feel like it. If I get into a footchase, please keep the air clear so I can call out my chase. And for god's sake, if you send me to an alarm and I am reporting a burglary in process at that address, please, for the love of god, do not ask me to repeat my location. You sent me there, you should know where I am (and if you have forgotten, its on the screen in front of you).

OK....sorry for the vent.....now back to normal programming.

[CrashCrew]

Thanks for the advice guys. I also appreciate your similar stories. They remind me that it can always be worse....HAHA. I did find a call taker notes file on the dispatch server....so hopefully that will help some. I also posted a ten-code list. Hopefully we will go to plain talk soon. I've tried to just not use them....no one has said anything yet...so that is good. Thanks for the help.

[johnnyradar]

One time I had a local drug dealer with a sus/rev DL driving around. He's known to carry a gun and I was fixing to go 1081 with him but was trying to give my location first so everyone could go ahead and start heading my way but I couldn't because the stupid dispatcher and our brain dead Sgt, were chatting away on the radio about where they were going to eat and when did the dispatcher want the Sgt to bring the food. its a rag tag department and I hope to be gone to a bigger, more professional department soon enough.

[ALAnarc308]

I suppose I have been both very blessed and extremely cursed at times I have worked with dispatchers that were the greatest as I don't get excited very often and normally talk very calmly these dispatchers could simply tell by the slight crackle in my voice at times that I felt bad about the situation and would without me even having to ask send another unit and do status checks a little quicker than normal then I have had those where I call in after fighting for my life literally stating please get me help im down and the supect is also and she very stupidly reply uhhhh 10-4 do you mean you need uhhhhhh i dont understand then thank god the next agency over dispatcher stepped in on our channel and got me an ambulance and back-up units I worked as a dispatcher for several years before going to the academy and I understand things get busy but this was not the case this moron had no business being there I had complained several times and had even told my family I was concerned. Trust me its not a good feeling to be lying in the street bleeding and helpless and the only person that can help due to incompetence cannot. But I have had officers berate dispatchers when it was totally uncalled for it does work both ways and I think we have to take that into account I know when I hear my dispatcher paging out multiple fire and ems calls that they have their hands full if im not involved in those calls I find a place to sit until she can safely monitor my radio traffic and that benefits everyone in my opinion. Now the sad thing is that in some agencies the person who is responsible for dispatch is just satisfied with having a body behind the radio working the shift so they don't have to, the agency that my incident above occurred at had and still has that mentality I found another place to work as soon as I recovered from my injuries and thankfully we have a great Chief and Chief Dispatcher and they will not allow persons not capable of performing the job remain employed, same goes for officers who can't respect the radio and use it properly. Well I just realized I prolly could write a book on my feelings about this as I am sure others could but I am very grateful to those dispatchers who truly care about their job as I don't know if I would be here today if it were not for them so Thank You.

[LeanG]

Haha, we have the same exact problem with every one of our dispatchers, even the dispatch supervisor. It is completely frustrating. We have to repeat tags and locations on traffic stops all the time. Also, on several occasions, our dispatchers have overlook active warrants and other important facts about driver/passengers such as criminal past. It's a complete joke, I feel your frustration.

Sounds like Monday...