The brighter the moon, the crazier it gets.

I believe in the myth that when there is a full moon, it's crazy. Working 911 for the past few years have strengthened my beliefs. The few days before and after the full moon are usually filled with our local crazies calling and being crazy. I have had the honors of talking to many crazy people in my career, and although they think they are calling for true emergencies and we handle them with seriousness it makes for a good laugh after the fact.

My favorite 10-96 (police code for mental/crazy) calls include the older lady who called 911 saying that her neighbors were hiding raccoons under her car, and sending their cats to poop on her porch. PD gets there and there is neither of the sort going on. Or the lady who calls 911 frantic and goes on an entire story of how she was kidnapped by relatives, brought to a hotel room, and they used a Hoover Home Liposuction machine and dumped her fat in the hotel room sink. Yeah that's a bit out there.
We have a regular crazy who calls us every once in a while, he sings us songs and talks about random things that happened back during Vietnam, sometimes he gets very aggressive and he's accused me of being apart of the war crimes.
We haven't heard from one of our other 'regulars' so I assume he's moved out of town and is now blessing another 911 center with his antics. He called one night called me a Doctor, and proceeded to tell me that he doesn't need to bring his gun on the bus because he always has his harmonica.

Now, even though most of our contact with these callers is humorous they are tying up 911 lines and police resources with their crazy reports, as we send an officer to check on them each time. And I also want to know, what happens that makes you that crazy?
I sure am getting a lot of tips from these folks for when I get older and retire. I am sure to be a pain for some police department somewhere! Ha ha.

Common Sense

Working on this end of the radio I have had the opportunity to talk to a wide variety of people, albeit most in their worst moments of life, and one thing that stands out when I reflect on most of these encounters is that there is a wide range of Common Sense.

Many people I have spoken with lack Common Sense, for example I have had someone call 911 asking what someone recently arrested (within minutes) bond amount was. No ma'am this is not the jail, nor is it information, you will have to find someone with a phone book for that number.

Or the person who calls 911 (I would like to remind you 911 is for 'emergencies') because they locked themselves out of their car. I obtain their name, address, phone number, and then what color and type of car they have, next up is the question "Is your vehicle RUNNING?", some people answer straight no, some people beat around the bush and say it was running but shut itself off (yeah, okay.) well in 'big city' they are running calls after calls and their policy is only to go for running cars, or cars with a child locked inside. So, after explaining to the person the police cannot help them and pointing them towards a locksmith, we disconnect. Moments later another 911 call comes in, this time the person tells me the car is running. Now, you see I just spoke with you and you already told me all of your information, unfortunately we still can't help you out. Call 911 again and I will sign a complaint against you for misuse of the 911 system. Thanks and have a great day.

More Common Sense woes came this winter, where most of our state was hit with a blizzard. Now, I know I don't watch the news much but I do have facebook, a smartphone, computer, etc. and I know most people in this day and age have one or more. And those who don't have any nifty gadgets that us tech-savvy people do I know there is always the print newspaper. Now, the meteorologists predicted a crap-load of snow starting at a specific date and time, and warned everyone not to travel unless absolutely necessary. So when you and 75 other people start to get stuck on an impassable area of highway and call 911 to get un-stuck I am not sure what you were expecting us to send you. Our police are driving around in cars just like you, and up until you called they were nice and warm in their stations because they cant' go driving around because of the snow! I really wish they could have asked everyone what was so important that they were out driving at 10 pm at night to get themselves stuck in the blizzard.
I mean it was so bad we had officers out in snow plows still getting stuck..

Well. I am done rambling for a bit, I had neglected this blog as well as reading many blogs I follow. I promise to try and keep up with it as much as possible!

Until next time!

In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass.

Okay, fellow dispatchers, I need you to chime in here.

Let's say there was a catastrophic emergency in the area that would increase call volume, radio traffic, and mayhem in a center. Most facilities are staffed at minimum but have room for extra people (more consoles). Does anyone have a procedure sent in place that would call out to the off-duty dispatchers for an 'emergency hire' to get the center staffed to max. Since no one would be able to call through a long list of employees to hire in what would you do?

Well, during such unforeseen event I happened to go into work to assist during time of emergency, and boy we needed it. But Monday Morning quarterbacking has kicked in and people are complaining that "why did he get paid to go in on OT no one else got calls" yadda yadda. Frankly I didn't see anyone else show up, a few stayed over but not everyone. We kicked ass for 6 hours until problems were resolved and radios got quiet.

But, is that bad that I went into 'work' on my day off? Apparently I am the only one that enjoys what I do and 'wishes' that I was in on the big emergency calls. They will regret the day I am gone and working the streets and no longer working the radio because it seems that I am the only one here willing to go that extra mile!

Anyhow, I'm done rambling, I am tired for I have clocked 36 hours of OT in the last 3 days, see what I mean?

Summer Heat

They say with heat comes more violence.
So far we haven't seen that much more calls for service going on, which is very good for the community, not so good for keeping occupied at work.

I haven't really had anything 'out of the ordinary' to post here, as much of it has been the same mundane calls. But, one call sits on the top of my mind still..

It was about 11 PM and I took a 911 call from a residence on the far west side of the county, on the other line was a panicked 5 year old boy. "I just woke up and I can't find my mommy" he says. I ask him his address and he knows the numbers and that matches up on my ALI screen, I ask him if he knows where his mom is and he has no idea. "Just me and mommy live here" he says.
I ask if he knows what his mom's name is, he gives it and says something that caught me off guard "Can you look her up" and for a moment, and with the panic in his voice it sounded like he asked "Can you wake her up". My heart sank "What was that" I asked, and got the clarification I had hoped for. I stayed on the line for a few minutes until the Deputy arrived. The front door was locked and the little guy couldn't figure out how to get it unlocked, so the Deputy tried the back door, and was able to make entry.
Moments later the Deputy clears the call, "10-8 found mom, she was asleep in her room on her bed."

Now, albeit a strange call, I was glad it was a good ending and Mom wasn't off partying or whatever else could have been going on. But man that would have been a hell of a wake up call for the police to show up in your bedroom!

Sir, what really does an emergency mean to you?

The night was fairly steady, calls from across the county and city were coming in. And then this guy calls in. Mind you he's probably in late 20's or early 30's, not an elderly caller that would think they are bothering us.

Me: 911 where is the emergency?
Caller: Well this probably isn't really an emergency.. but I just saw these three males break into a window of my neighbors house and climb inside.

Really, sir. Really?

What WOULD an emergency be for you, sir? Are you related to the person that called me a few months ago because your puppy was choking on a bone that YOU gave it and YOU yelled at me "Oh, I guess my kids will just have to watch their dog choke to death" because I wouldn't send and ambulance and instead gave you two locations of emergency vets in the area? You're lucky I gave you the vets locations, I could have just disconnected, you are a waste of the emergency response system!

You can't fix stupid.

Sleeping.

Me: 911 where is the emergency?
Caller: Oh nevermind. It's okay now.
Me: Ma'am what is it that you needed?
Caller: Well I was going to need an ambulance, I thought grandma was dead... but she woke up! It's okay everything is fine!...


Well then.

Just one of those days

So, For some odd reason today has been a 'stupid people' day.

The highlight had to have been my 911 call I took from a juvenile with a bit of an accent, sounded about 13 or so.
Went something like this:

Me: 911 where is the emergency?
Caller: Yes, Send me a vegetarian.
Me: I'm sorry a what?
Caller: A vegetarian.
Me: I'm sorry I can't understand you, what is it you need?
Caller: For my dog, I need a vegenarian its sick.
Me: HUH? For your dog? [pause] Ooooh you need a veterinarian! Sorry but 911 is for human emergencies, try calling 411 or check the phonebook for an emergency animal hospital!

Yeah, The vegetarian. Totally caught me off guard!

How to tell if someone is crazy.

It's a cold night, about 3 am, not much activity going on anywhere in the county. It's recently snowed and that is keeping everyone inside.

A 911 line rings, I pick it up
Me: 911 where is your emergency?
Caller: xxxx yyyy out by the river (this is a rural county address)
Me: And what is going on out there sir?
Caller: Well there are two guys walking around my house with a gun!
Me: Okay, can you tell me where they are right now and can you give me a description of these guys?
Caller: They are behind my house, and they are both male Hispanics and its a nickle plated pistol they have.
Me: (Note, PD is already enroute, the county officers and also a closer village is sending units) Sir, can you tell me what kind of clothes they are wearing, you know what color shirt the guy with the gun has?
Caller: No, I couldn't tell. But he is wearing a sombrero.
Me: (Thinking, what the hell!) Okay... Well what about the other guy?
Caller: Oh, he just has a hat on.
Me: Oh... Well I have an officer pulling up where are these guys at now?
Caller: Over in the abandoned house next door, they were inside but are out on the porch now.
Me: Okay, Well I have an officer here he is having trouble finding the house you're in, do you see the officer out side?
Caller: No officers live out here that I know of.
Me: What?.. No do you see the officer outside!
Caller: Yeah there he is! (Disconnected)

I am thinking to my self, what the hell, how can you tell they are Hispanics, and the finish of the gun, but cannot see what color clothes they have on, yet you know the guy has a sombrero.

The officers clear it, they checked didn't find any foot prints in the snow and talk to the guy and find nothing.

The next night they are back out there, he called nicor out and nicor called us, the guy was freaking out to the nicor people saying that there are spirits in his window, that he saw an angel with a halo in the window. Officers get out there and search around the house to make sure it's secure while talking to the guy. One officer finds a loaded shotgun in the back bedroom laying on the bed and diabetic perscriptions that have not been filled in over a year.
There's your problem right there. Mr Crazy is got some issues. He got a trip to the hospital.

Hopefully we don't hear from him any time soon. Althought it gave us all a chuckle in the communications center!

Morons.

Life is full of them, right?

With my new job I seem to hear a lot of stupid things.. Things that would make you want to reach across the phone lines and smack the other person up-side their head.

Take, for example, the moron who called 911 a few nights ago and I happened to answer his plea for help.

It went something like this:
Me: 911 where is your emergency?
Moron: Ya down here a' XX n' YY ther' is some mob actin' goin' on
Me: What do you mean by 'Mob Action'
Moron: Uh well der' is abunch of people gangin' up ova' here
Me: How many is a bunch and what are they doing? [I can now hear my partner taking a large fight call next to me near the intersection Moron gave me]
Moron: Well a bunch and they fighting
Me: Sir my officers are en route, but I need to let my officers know how many, can you give me a number?
Moron: Uh like 20
Me: Now are any of them armed and who are they fighting?
Moron: I already told ya naw' get tha po-lice here quick!
[click]
Me: heeellloooo?

A little while later after the police got on scene and cleared it as 10-8 (available) just a group of juveniles walking down the street.. no problem.. the moron calls 911 to complain that he was asked too many questions.
After speaking with my partner and her having telling him twice that it's not an emergency to complain he will have to call 123-1234 to complain he was given to my supervisor who basically told him that he was going to be arrested for misuse of 911 (hoorah) if he doesn't hang up and call back in the morning.

I never did get pulled into the office, I guess I didn't ask enough questions..



Just to throw out there to anyone else looking into 911 dispatch as a job the training will probably vary from center to center.. We got a few weeks of in class training than was sent out with another dispatcher for a few weeks.. I do have to say that you will need to know how to use computers and not be nervous over the phones, that was a big downfall for some of the new people that started with and after me is they weren't familiar with computers and weren't comfortable with them. That and I have heard stories of some past dispatchers that would refuse to answer 911 lines (who were than let get due to that fact). But it's been great, I knew a lot about the police side of things due to my classes I was taking and the fact that I was able to do a couple of ride-alongs with my city and county police so I became more familiar with their basics (beats, 10 codes, call signs, etc)