04/14/2019
It takes a special kind of person to be a 9-1-1 dispatcher. You not only have to be highly skilled, adaptable, cool under pressure, quick-thinking, and even-tempered (at least while the mic is on 😀); you also have to know that most everyone you interact with is going to yell at you, belittle you, get defensive and short, blame you for their problems, and irritate you to no end. Nobody calls 9-1-1 in a good mood. Nobody wants to talk to you.
You work long hours, then you get told to stay for 4 more. You work through your breaks because the phone hasn't stopped ringing. You do extra work because your Center is always understaffed. You stress-eat and rarely sleep.
People don't know what "busy" is until they've seen the inside of a 9-1-1 Center. Stressful is an understatement.
And the kicker is that this is truly a thankless job. People will get mad and tell you that their taxes pay your salary. Callers will curse right at you, call you every name under the sun, and then complain when you respond with less than 100 percent courtesy. Responders will blame you when they must handle a call they don't like.
No one ever says thank you.
And yet you are always there to answer the call, 24 hours a day, every day, because somebody has to. Because society needs you, even if they don't know or appreciate it. Because you care.
From those of us who know what you go through, who continue to be inspired and impressed by you, who wish things could be better for you, and who appreciate every sacrifice you make to keep the world safe,
THANK YOU.
