engine968

I could not disagree more. After 26 years dispatching both Police & Fire I can tell you that it is absolutely possible to do both with a reasonable level of competence. They key I have found is not to have a background in either service, so you come in as a blank slate. I was a dispatcher for several years and already a dispatch Instructor when I first thought of becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, recruited by a fellow (now former) dispatcher. Now I am still a dispatcher, an ex-firefighter and he is an ex-dispatcher and now a career firefighter.
I did seek out some additional fire dispatch training, but that instructor despite being a career lieutenant had only rarely worked in dispatch. He was also too young to know who Johnny & Roy were (and that did come up in class).

Thanks Avon Rob, but you don't want a police dept. dispatching fire depts. It's two different worlds and police depts. just don't understand fire dispatching. The fire dispatch office should be run by the fire service and be staffed by fire dispatchers. Ideally it should also be physically separate from police dispatch, though it could be located in the same building.

Thanks Avon Rob, but you don't want a police dept. dispatching fire depts. It's two different worlds and police depts. just don't understand fire dispatching. The fire dispatch office should be run by the fire service and be staffed by fire dispatchers. Ideally it should also be physically separate from police dispatch, though it could be located in the same building.

As an outside observer from another county, it sounds to me like the real issue here is the union is worried that the position will be lost if they go with county-dispatch.
Has anyone considered a compromise solution? The Town of Greenburgh could run its own dispatch center (with civilian dispatchers) that would dispatch all companies in the Township, eliminating the positions at each fire company. This would provide the cost efficiency of some degree of centralized dispatching but keep a reasonable amount of local control.
Similar dispatching centers exist on Long Island that include Babylon Town Central Fire Alarm in Suffolk County, and in Nassau County the North Bellmore FD dispatches for themselves and several other neighboring depts. Before I retired, I dispatched for 30 years at every level, my own dept, the North Bellmore FD, and Nassau County Firecom. And the best operation, the "happy medium" was the North Bellmore FD which is similar to what a Town dispatch center in Greenburgh might look like.

As an outside observer from another county, it sounds to me like the real issue here is the union is worried that the position will be lost if they go with county-dispatch.
Has anyone considered a compromise solution? The Town of Greenburgh could run its own dispatch center (with civilian dispatchers) that would dispatch all companies in the Township, eliminating the positions at each fire company. This would provide the cost efficiency of some degree of centralized dispatching but keep a reasonable amount of local control.
Similar dispatching centers exist on Long Island that include Babylon Town Central Fire Alarm in Suffolk County, and in Nassau County the North Bellmore FD dispatches for themselves and several other neighboring depts. Before I retired, I dispatched for 30 years at every level, my own dept, the North Bellmore FD, and Nassau County Firecom. And the best operation, the "happy medium" was the North Bellmore FD which is similar to what a Town dispatch center in Greenburgh might look like.

Interesting that is a throw back. Its hard enough to get the public to understand the audibles for an emergency in this day and age, try explainig why the all clear horn has to be sounded.
My dept. had one diaphone and 15 sirens around the district in the 'day" Most were 2 1/2 and 1 horse power federals. There is only one pole mounted street siren left....it does not work but its still on the pole. They stopped using audibles about 1983. The Gamewell boxes were pulled in 1986. AAhhh the days of counting the horn codes on a box call and riding my bicycle to the box location.

I have 3 scanners in different parts of my house and they all receive differently using the original telescoping antennas. The one in the largest room with the biggest windows receives the best. The second one also in a large room with a little less windows receives almost as well, but better when placed on a high shelf than on a table in the same room. The 3rd one in a small room with small windows near a TV and computer receives the worst.
But scanners vary too. You could put 2 identical model scanners next to each other with the same antennas and they might receive differently. Radio reception is weird like that. And as someone said above, an outside antenna is usually more effective than any indoor antenna.

Let me tell ya a few things about them bastard dispatchers.....I know a little bit.
First off - it sucks. But it is OK too...
It is a GOOD living, but obviously not as "fun" or "glorious" as our police, fire, and even EMS counterparts.
The BIGGEST thing I have noticied in over 15 years "in the chair" is that EVERYONE in the field thinks they could do it better, or things could be done different. Everyone in a uniform has IDEALS, but dispatchers have PROTOCOLS. For the most part the voice ont he radio doesnt make those protocol, but we are bound to adhere to them. So if you get angry or frustrated - direct that to the policy makers, not the person on the other end of the radio.
We get it from every direction...and speaking from MY job, literally everyone is our superioir...I am the #5 on my job senority wise..I been around, yet even the newest, junior cop or fireman tells me what to do...but that is part of MY job...other agencies are different..they have a more structured, Dispatch Command..we are under the authority of the Police Watch Commander and FD Shift Commander...yet there is still a small army of Sergeants, Liuetenant, Captains, Chiefs, and Deputy Chiefs that can change it all with a simple command...
EVERY shift is run different - under the direction of the Watch Commander..so if you are like me, and work OT on different shifts..you had BETTER do i tTHAT bosses way..
You guys get to SEE your jurasdiction every day - you know it intimately..hell I been working in our City for 12 years and I dont know ALOT of the streets,..Yes, I know what police post they are on, who to send, and even what fire truck is first due - but I have been "lost" on the southside of our city as recently as last week..we dont get out to see it enough, if at all. Sure maps, and CAD are nice - but there is no subsitute for actual street time. Some agencies make "ride time" a part of training - and thats awesome.
"They dont give us enough info.." Yep...true. But we give you all of what we can get from our callers - which in an urban setting like mine - sometimes is just an address...if I had a dollar for everytime a caller said - "just send the M F'ing cops/Ambulance" I could retire to the Keys with George..LOL. And if we give alot of info - we are met with "headquarters - get off the air.." There is NO happy median it seems sometimes.
Dont get me wrong - I am NOT defending all dispatchers - I have worked with some real turds...but thankfully, for the most part - we weed them out. Not all...but alot..this job is not for everyone.
I will openly admit that this is NOT what I pictured myself doing...well, it is not what I wanted to do..anyone who knows me knows I should be on a firetruck for 40 hours a week, but I do not regret it one bit. I have a good life and make good money...I can support my family well, we own a house, 2 cars, and a dog...the American Dream, right? I am heads and shoulders above where my parents where at my age. I stay cool in the summer, warm in the winter, park in a secure parking agarge, and can surf Bravo for 8 hours a day. For that I am very thankful.
One of the things I cherish the most about my job is RESPECT. The guys on the other side of the radio - be it police or fire, appreciate me and the job I do..I take care of "my guys"..they know when the crap hits the fan in a foot pursuit that I am right there with them, and help is on the way. I know how the FD operates and usually have what the Captain requests done or ready to be done. I do my job well, because lives of cops and firemen depend on it. I have actually been written up for two commendations by Fire Lieutenants after tough, hectic, SCARY jobs for my actions in assisting them...both times they were denied because, "he is just a dispatcher...". Who cares....it's the RESPECT from those guys that mean more to me than ANY peice of paper signed by the Mayor.
So yeah, dispatching sucks..but it pays the bills. And I know that there are a few guys out there that know we really DO make a difference. So cut us some slack...or take the test and get "in the chair."

The fact that the young man's blood alcohol level (as reported by the media) was .13 speaks for itself. He should not have been at the wheel of a car, and a tragedy of one kind or another was bound to happen. This should serve as a wake-up call, not a condemnation of the police who had to deal as best they could with an instantly unfolding situation.