FDNY Dispatchers...

[JBE 328]

Yes, I did hear about that one recently. I think the sheer volume of calls, and what has to be learned to properly handle each is too much for one person. The system was fine the way it was. Just that now, many of the glaring mistakes that we all knew about are finally coming to light.

[JetPhoto 626]

Well, somewhat related...

[M' Ave 1,466]

Yes, I did hear about that one recently. I think the sheer volume of calls, and what has to be learned to properly handle each is too much for one person. The system was fine the way it was. Just that now, many of the glaring mistakes that we all knew about are finally coming to light.

What happened to the UCT folks conferencing in an FD dispatcher? That seemed to be a small ray of hope that we in the field might get some good information. I really do miss the days before UCT. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I hold Bloombergs plan to push us out the door faster as part of the problem. This whole idea of getting us out the door with little more than an addressand filling in the rest of the info while in route doesn't work all the time. Sometime we're already there....now we,ve arrived somewhere without knowing what all of the info is.

Man, I hope people start calling your direct numbers more often.....

[Alwaysinheat 26]

I had just gotten off work and came across an accident with no injuries and kept going but called it in. I gave them 4 or 5 landmarks and they still had no idea where it was! Henry Hudson Parkway NB at 181st, at Lafayette Park on the highway, under the pedestrian bridge south of the Dyckman St exit, north of the GWB, at the location of a particular call we had at the same location at a specific time. I ended up just hanging up. Got a call back from them asking for more info by the time I was in New Rochelle!

[JBE 328]

What happened to the UCT folks conferencing in an FD dispatcher? That seemed to be a small ray of hope that we in the field might get some good information. I really do miss the days before UCT. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I hold Bloombergs plan to push us out the door faster as part of the problem. This whole idea of getting us out the door with little more than an addressand filling in the rest of the info while in route doesn't work all the time. Sometime we're already there....now we,ve arrived somewhere without knowing what all of the info is.

Man, I hope people start calling your direct numbers more often.....

They still conference us in, but we still send the tickets out before, and give the rest of the info after we are done talking to the caller. It is part of the plan, get you guys out the door with half a$$ed information, in the false belief we are getting you out faster. This was started by the pre-release program in the end of 08/beginning of 09, and has morphed into what you got today.

I am about to say something that may upset a few people. Firefighters are very simple creatures, all they need in NYC is a Box Number, and Address, Cross Streets, and what you're going to. Smoke 3rd Floor, Caller 3D. Stuck Elevator 19th Floor. They don't need Male Caller Ray CB 347-XXX-XXXX States he might be stuck in elevator and has asthma. Once again the difference between us and our NYPD Counterparts on the other side of 11 Metrotech. Oh yeah, CIDS helps too, but I'm sticking to the basics here.

Edited July 3, 2012 by JBE

[goon16 155]

I agree with jbe just give me basic info and cids so I can start to sizing up to what kind of building I'm going to and what type of emergency I'm going to

Edited July 4, 2012 by goon16

[ny10570 745]

None of us need that extra crap. We still have to get there, so you can add all of that along the way. "Pt mle 60 yrs can't breeth" is all I need to start going. If along the way you want to tell me he's 'coofing flem, 'wheezeling', 'dissy', 'has the sugar', or whatever else can be gleaned from the caller and scrambled by the CRO, thats great. I'd still rather have someone with zero medical training but 8th grade reading level following the EMD cards and updating me.

[x4093k 654]

None of us need that extra crap. We still have to get there, so you can add all of that along the way. "Pt mle 60 yrs can't breeth" is all I need to start going. If along the way you want to tell me he's 'coofing flem, 'wheezeling', 'dissy', 'has the sugar', or whatever else can be gleaned from the caller and scrambled by the CRO, thats great. I'd still rather have someone with zero medical training but 8th grade reading level following the EMD cards and updating me.

100% agreed. I like to call it T.M.I. Too Much Information! it works in many ways!

[2231* 20]

Interesting responses...to say the least

[grumpyff 1,159]

I wanted to drive to MetroTech and choke the PD dispatcher last night. Rude, nasty, and full of the wrong info. Take this job. " Pelham Parkway on the IRT #5 for a man with a gun breaking car windows under the station." I answered for the job, and asked the dispatcher to call the complainant back, as "Pelham Parkway is an underground station, there is no parking underneath." Finally after 3 or 4 times of asking the dispatcher gives me the cross the cross streets of Lydig and Bolton. That intersection is close to Morris Park on the 5, and 49 Crime had been there for over 10 minutes already. Later, on another job, the dispatcher confused Morris Park on the 5 train, with Morrison-Soundview (on the 6 train) throwing in a booth number from the 2 train just to add to the confusion. Both times, the dispatchers copped attitude when they we questioned for more info to try and straighten things out. They should go back to limited duty cops as dispatchers, not these "trained" fools.

[ny10570 745]

Good luck with limited duty cops. Our selection of EMTs aren't much better. Hire people that want the job and pay enough to get quality hires. Our CROs and dispatchers are so inefficient there has got to be a better way. Just last night, 3 calls for Union Square W and 16th, 16th st, and 16th and Broadway. Shockingly they were all for the same person! Then the winner on the mic tried to insist West St was right there and we should check to see if that's also the same job.

[JBE 328]

10570, from my experience dealing with your dispatchers, they, unfortunately also, don't seem to be allowed to use much in the way of that common sense thing. They don't seem to be allowed to dupe out incidents, or if they do, it's few and far between. Mind you, this is just my observation. They too, are also overworked and underpaid. You've got some really good ones over there, and then you've got some real doozies, to say the least.

Light duty Cops dispatching?? Nope. The cops that are already there doing security don't seem like they wanna be there. Except for maybe this one Sergeant who has annointed himself Parking Czar. But that's another story for another time.

One of the other situations I have noticed when it comes to the PD Dispatchers, meaning the Radio Operators, is that they are not assigned to a particular zone. They could be dispatching the 43 and 45 one night, then the next night they are doing what they call Beirut(the 73 and 75). The powers that be don't want them having a rapport with the cops out on the street, which to me is ludicrous. I understand the need for the well rounded dispatcher, etc. But, come on. You can't just drop someone in a borough they don't know and expect them to flourish. At least with my guys and the EMS folks, most of them tend to stay in the same area.

[ny10570 745]

They are absolutely ridiculously handcuffed with what they can do. Simple things like down grading calls get handled swiftly and severely if they are wrong. They are their own little kingdom with an operations guide that regular field members cannot get access to. We definitely have some great dispatchers and when they're on the air, especially in the Bronx South it is a night and day difference. Too bad they're outnumbered by dead weight.

[JBE 328]

(Quote)Needless to say I can run a lot faster then she could throw her newport at me and her cup of coffee.(Quote)

Oh, she left them there for the next time you come by. Taken out in front of 11MT this morning.

[everybodygoes 331]

Awesome! That made my day!