Technology in the Communications Center

I’ve interviewed dozens of 911 Dispatchers across the country with on-the-job time ranging from 3 months to over 3 decades. One of the questions I ask is, “How have the changes in technology affected you?” As you can imagine the answers can be vastly different especially when you consider some of the senior telecommunications operators started before computer technology. They took 911 calls from an actual telephone and information was passed to dispatch on handwritten cards that crossed the room via a conveyor belt. They worked in a time before CAD, GPS, ANI/ALI and numerous computer screens showing who, where and what has happened before. The sheer amount of technology that has come about and entered the public safety communication realm is mind boggling. Even during my time on the floor, we went from a push-button radio system to a software-based one. We changed from 450 to 800 MHz and went from three computer screens to seven, not including any alarm system, such as LoJack. When I visited my former communication last summer, I was blown away at the even greater changes. Technology ruled the room. Screens were stacked on top of each other. An infinite number of windows could be opened so even one computer screen wasn’t just one piece of information but could be dozens. Everything was computerized from the phone to the radio to all internal communications. The room was an IT department dream or nightmare depending on how well everything was functioning. Unfortunately, when you have systems that run 24/7, there are going to be problems. How have all these changes in technology affected the men and women who work in telecommunications? The answers I received had some common themes.  

About the money

One of the biggest areas of frustration with technology is too many of the decisions appear focused only on the cost aspect. At the very heart of the financial discussion are the agencies that can’t afford modern technology at all. I spoke with one dispatcher whose agency still didn’t even have CAD. Having come from a large metropolitan department, I often forget that some agencies don’t have access to even basic technologies because of cost. Another part of the same issue is sub-par technology because of the lowest bidder aspect. I understand that government agencies need to be fiscally responsible, but sometimes we only save money in the short-term because of the quality. It’s like the prevention aspect of criminal justice. People seem to only want to fund things that have returns right now, like incarceration rather than putting money towards programs that will reduce crime/recidivism in the long run. When agencies buy cheap equipment with programs that are incompatible with other systems, a lot of money is wasted and dispatchers are left feeling like their agencies only feel they are worthy of cheap junk.

No stop button

Learning new technology can be challenging especially for those of us who grew up in a time before computers and the internet. Learning new technology while simultaneously taking emergency calls and dispatching police, fire and EMS can be even more daunting. A common issue in communications is the limited time available for training on new systems. Many times a short class or even just a brief instructional conversation is all you have before the system goes live and you have to work with it. And there is very little room for error in our occupation. Thank goodness so many 911 Dispatchers are masters at improvising and problem solving. I suppose working with equipment that often fails makes us good at continuing to do our jobs well even when the technology is failing or we just don’t have time to figure it out right now. Sometimes a few communications operators will be trained on the system off the floor and then they have to train everyone else. When you throw in different days off and three different shifts, it can be complicated. Often systems come on-line and - Go Time! 

The new generation

An area of frustration that hadn’t occurred to me was the angst our new generation of operators feels because of their life-long experience with modern technology. They were raised with computers, tablets, e-readers and smartphones. They are a generation of apps and social media. In the public realm, they have experienced amazing technology and expect the same when they come to work at a communication center. Now we go back to the money aspects and instead of having the latest, greatest technology, they have the lowest bidder if anything at all. It’s mind boggling to them how antiquated our systems and technologies are. It’s an area of frustration that many of us don’t stop to think about because we think the biggest area of frustration must be from the old timers having to learn all that new stuff. I liken their experience to what it would have been like for me starting in the late 90s and being told I had to take my calls with a can and string and I had to scratch the information onto a stone tablet. Even those who started in the 80s would have been frustrated with that. We expect to have the same technology at work, maybe even more high-tech stuff that is available to us in our homes or academic settings. Dealing with technology that to the new generation feels archaic increases their frustration in ways most of us don’t understand or appreciate.

Technology will continue to play a huge roll in modern day public safety telecommunications. As systems change and new technology rolls out, some of which geniuses haven’t even dreamed up yet, we will need to learn and adapt to what comes our way. Someday, these new operators will look back over their decades of experience and tell the next, young whippersnappers, “Well, I remember when we only had 7 screens and actually had to type words into the computer system ourselves.” How funny will that be?