Within public safety communications, there is an undeniable culture. Talk to call-takers and dispatchers and you will hear the same thing. There is an environment of behavior, attitude you could say, that permeates centers all across the country. We do a unique job not everyone is cut out to handle. We have a special place in the first responder community. We may not always be recognized or appreciated for our status, but police, fire and emergency services would not run without us. Because of this, and because of the prevalent personality types of those who work in 911 Dispatch, we create a unique work environment. Unfortunately, it is often a negative one and exacerbates one of our main internal issues-understaffing.
Pit of Vipers
Recently I had a 27-year veteran operator describe the environment in the 911/radio room as a “pit of vipers.” She said this with quite a bit of sadness in her voice. Another 12-year veteran described this same phenomenon with the phrase, “We eat our young.” Unfortunately, as much as I loved my co-workers and my time as a police telecommunications operator, I knew exactly what they were talking about. I’m ashamed to say I’ve been part of the problem. When a new hire comes in, instead of having a positive, encouraging attitude towards them, we have a tendency to want to flush them out instead. I have a few ideas on why this is, but first I want to touch on the consequences of this type of environment.
Financial Considerations
Hiring a new operator is expensive. The hiring process usually starts with a huge group general proficiency test. Then, a specific CritiCall test is given to the top scorers. If they pass this second test, they move on to the background investigation and possibly a psychological profile. Once those are successfully passed, they get an employment offer. A whole lot of money has been poured into getting them to that point. After that, the training begins. More money flows into their classroom and on-the-job training. The goal is to have a well-balanced, able-bodied, strong-minded, career-oriented, trained individual hit the floor. I don’t know the exact figure, but my guess is thousands of dollars are invested in each person who makes it through the door. So, each time, we discourage a new employee and force them to make a choice to leave, not only are we costing the agency money, we are keeping our departments short staffed, forcing tons of overtime cost and increasing our job dissatisfaction and burnout.
Positive Work Environment
I don’t think we realize how negative we can be. Or, maybe we do and have just survived in negativism so long that it doesn’t seem unusual anymore. When a new employee comes in and is greeted by negative comments, poor reviews, impatient trainers and just dealing with all the cliques that exist, the whole environment has a negative energy. New hires struggle with not wanting to go to work and being afraid, not of making a mistake although this is a very real fear, but of being judged and ostracized by his or her coworkers. If someone is not liked, for whatever reason, by a seasoned dispatcher, it is hard to overcome. We have to ask ourselves if this is the type of work environment we want to be part of. Wouldn’t it be healthier for us to create an environment of acceptance and support? Some agencies have created mentorship programs so a new hire is paired up with a veteran who can help encourage them through the process. I’m sure these agencies have higher retention and happier employees.
But why?
So why is this flushing out of new hires so pervasive in our culture? I have a few ideas:
Elitism: This is not a negative thing in itself. Those of us who have the personality and the ability to do the multitude of tasks required have earned a spot in an elite club. We are special. People even tell us so. How many times have you heard, “Wow, you’re a 911 Dispatcher? I could never do that work.” Most of the time that person is right and they couldn’t. It takes incredible emotional and physical control. We know how challenging the work is and because of this we have a view of ourselves that creates a culture of elitism. You have to earn your way in. Of course, it would be different if the earning was only proving you had what it takes without the need to make it through the gauntlet of nastiness.
Matronly Quality Assurance: Similar to elitism, this is created by most operators feeling a responsibility to take care of their people. This happens more in dispatch than in 911. We don’t want to turn our charges over to someone who won’t care for them as well as we can. Even when someone has been in the job for a while, we all have those people that we not want to sit down after us or give us breaks. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing but we can be excessively critical and controlling.
Jealousy: I hate to admit this even exists, but it does and needs to be mentioned. When a young, cute, single woman makes it through the hiring process, a lot of time she will be the target of vehement flushing out. Some operators, many who are getting older or who haven’t taken care of themselves or are notorious for dating the field, are the worst in this regard. It’s sad this is even a factor, but it is.
These are just a few reasons why we have such a “viper pit” mentality. I’ve also heard of situations where operators will refuse to train new people in protest of internal policies they don’t agree with but that would be a whole other column. So, what can we do to change the environment, encourage new hires, decrease our short staffing and leave a positive legacy? Several things.
Quality Trainers: First, we need to have exceptional trainers. Ones who not only understand the importance of giving quality instruction but ones who can support and encourage new people. These trainers can see when someone is struggling but learning vs. someone probably not suited for the job. Being able to reflect these observations objectively and kindly is another important training quality.
Supervisory/Training Oversight: The training department and supervisors pod need to be part of this. These professionals need to be tasked with making sure the work environment is kept positive for new hires. They have to be willing to upset some long-term employees by calling them out if they are being unreasonably negative or unwelcoming. After all, their job is to look at the common good of the department.
Multiple Trainers: One of the things my former department did was if one trainer was washing someone out, they were required to put the new hire with another trainer for a second opinion. This would rule out any personality conflicts or problems with a negative attitude. When this is done, supervisors also need to actively management any gossip or issues created because the first trainer feels slighted or overridden. I’ll tell you from experience it is easy to feel resentful.
911 Dispatch is an amazing career and the men and women who fill those seats are incredible. But we have to be willing to look at one of the weaknesses so many of our agencies face and want to make changes to increase positivity and inclusiveness. By no means should we allow those who cannot handle the job do the job. This affects life and death. What we can do is be encouraging enough to recognize that new hires are an asset and not a threat.
