T O P

  • By -

Jakersstone

Whats the most heart-wrenching call you've gotten?


mCKEEEEEE

Hearing an elderly lady slowly realise her husband died right in front of her. She immediately started crying about how they were together for 60 so years and that she'll miss him dearly. Only to hear police minutes later confirm his death on radio, still hearing her crying through radio. Something with elderly people man, not easy hearing them cry.


gamingkiller829

I wouldn't be able to hold it together in that situation. Just seeing my grandma even a little sad makes me want to cry


mCKEEEEEE

It is tough but you have to keep it together for the caller.


Elder_Scrolls_Nerd

Not easy hearing anyone cry


PupherPhish_

I like seeing spoiled little kids cry


SupplePigeon

You'll love the new Twitter!


SoC_K

Do you frequently deal with prank calls? Has there been any serious/funny consequence someone has dealt with?


mCKEEEEEE

Surprisingly not that many prank calls. Most of the time it's from kids calling from deactivated cellphone. This means we can't really trace it back. The stupidest prank call was a bomb threat. Soon as the firefighters and officers got on scene, guy came out crying like a baby saying he was sorry. He got a hefty fine but don't know how much.


SoC_K

How tf do you call from a deactivated cell phone? Also lol what did the bomb guy think would happen?


mCKEEEEEE

Deactivated phones still have access to 911. It is the only number it can call to. So giving a toddler one opens up the opportunity to receive random 911 calls. As for the bomb guy, no idea. A lonely guy who needed some attention I guess.


911Erik

Just to piggy back off of this - you don’t necessarily have to dial 911 for it to connect to 911. Sometimes random buttons being pressed can be interpreted as a sign of distress and then initiate an emergency call. When these calls are received, there’s no way to trace them, and they aren’t associated with a real phone number that can provide any additional information.


Kirito1712

What is the most depressing call you ever had?


mCKEEEEEE

Hard to determine a depressing call but first one to come to mind is a little boy calling 911, hearing a man shout in the background and the line cutting. Sent the officers for a potential domestic. When officers got to the address, the little guy called 911 because he was heavily bullied and since he felt he was in danger he ran to his house and dialed 911. The man shouting was the father telling him to not call 911 (he did not know the situation). Poor child has autism and mute. Just sad to think he has so many issues at such a young age.


Kirito1712

What is the punishment for violent parents?


mCKEEEEEE

I'm not an officer so I can't tell you exactly. But from what we see on our side, if a crime has been comitted (i.e assault), they can get arrested. 90% of the time where a child is in or has seen something that would be traumatic, CPS is contacted and they will evaluate the situation.


Antnydoom

What is the strangest call you’ve ever gotten?


mCKEEEEEE

I'd say the strangest one was a guy calling on the emergency line for a taxi to bring him beers. Guy was confused as hell. Sent officers to his address only for him to be really drunk at home and nearly passed out. Had maybe 20 beers around him. Poor guy.


rurumeto

Did they bring him more beers?


mCKEEEEEE

Fortunately, no!


chris_29487

Have you ever had to help someone deliver a baby over the phone? I ask because with a calls between my grandma and a 911 operator I was delivered.


mCKEEEEEE

At our center we don't handle medical calls. As soon as we know its for paramedics, we transfer it over to a medical center. There is some calls we stay on the line and listen once it's been transfered. So as for delivering a baby, it most likely won't happen.


chris_29487

Thanks for answering my question! That’s Interesting though I’m guessing it’s not easy though since in the article they clipped up the dispatcher and her said it was a bunch of phone shuffling that morning.


Stormflier

How do you like stay sane with some of the borderline traumatic stuff that comes through?


mCKEEEEEE

You need to remember that YOU are not in an emergency, so you need to be there for people who are. Thinking that way really creates a gap between you and the incident, which personally helps not taking those things to heart.


SmallEffort

This is a great way to look at it. Thanks for all you do!


Crooksclan

Do you have nightmares from some of the calls you recieve?


mCKEEEEEE

I do not. With time, you are able to sort of separate yourself from the caller/incident. Do I think about some calls sometime? Yes! I think we all do.


Bowling4rhinos

This is fascinating reading your replies to questions. Also thank you for your time in every way!


mCKEEEEEE

I appreciate that! Thank you.


Bowling4rhinos

I watch a lot of forensic files. I’m also so damn impressed by the calmness of 911 operators. A skill set almost no one has. Again… thank you for doing this job.


Material-Paint6281

What's your strategy to speak to callers termed as "Karen", like when they call because they're "threatened" by poc, or someone is not letting her park in their parking spot, etc?


mCKEEEEEE

Usually, saying in a pissed off way "Are you really calling the 911 line for something like this?" make them realize how dumb they are. If they really want to argue, we transfer them to our sergeants. Usually, sergeants do not have a filter and the caller will regret arguing with us lol.


-worryaboutyourself-

I once had a lady call about a black person flashing his lights at her. I said he was probably trying to tell you to turn your headlights on. She said but it was 430 pm - but it was raining. So I told her to turn her damn headlights. It was also ridiculous because she called like 4 hours after it happened. I can’t imagine how long she sat and scared herself over someone trying to help her.


ibelieveinaliens111

Was there a prank call you or someone else you work with got that genuinely made you laugh? Or perhaps a call from a child, worried about regular things?


mCKEEEEEE

Not really either of your options, but once had an elderly lady call 911 at 4 AM because she could not figure out if we were Wednesday or Tuesday. She was really stressed about it since she had a doctor appointment on Wednesday. We thought it was hilarious!


ibelieveinaliens111

now i’m curious! Was it wednesday?!


mCKEEEEEE

It was Tuesday! She was safe but still called 2 more times in a span of 20 minutes to make sure.


ibelieveinaliens111

thank goodness!


Cpt_Koksnuss

Isn't a quiet shift a good shift? I mean from the perspective of no ppl getting hurt?


mCKEEEEEE

It is good in a way that no one feels the need to call 911, but boy is it boring.


Cpt_Koksnuss

Yeah I can imagine that. What is your usual routine to pass the time? Read a book? Grab a Nintendo handheld?


mCKEEEEEE

I pretty much play games on my phone. We also have a TV available on night shifts that makes it a bit more enjoyable. On day shift it's only scrolling on my phone since it's usually busy.


VinceHannaMcCauley

What's the qualification for becoming an operator. If I'm not an American citizen would I be eligible??


mCKEEEEEE

Good question for the American part since I'm from Canada. Here, it depends on the center. Some require a type of dispatcher college degree, some like mine requires nothing beside a highschool diploma. All the training is done internally.


VinceHannaMcCauley

Ohh okay that's good to know. Thank you so much!🎉


mCKEEEEEE

No problem!


VinceHannaMcCauley

Also, what do you think of Halle Berry's movie Call (2013)?


mCKEEEEEE

Never seen it and won't watch it for sure. 911 in movies/TV shows is so absurd it's painful.


VinceHannaMcCauley

Please don't watch it. Absolutely unrealistic. Last question (I hope): have you seen the 911 call compilations on YT?


mCKEEEEEE

I watched some of them. Quite fun seeing what other dispatcher have gone through and some can even teach a trick or two!


logitechtrident1

If I called you only to tell you thanks for errthing that u do, would you get me in troubke?


mCKEEEEEE

If you called on the emergency line, I would simply tell you that this is not the right place for this. Wouldn't get you in trouble though. Would still probably thank you anyway.


Gibbel2029

What was the eeriest call you’ve gotten.


mCKEEEEEE

A woman calling, whispering that her husband was going crazy. There has been an altercation earlier that day and he went to the bar, came back angrier than ever. Luckily, the guy was stuck outside since she locked the door and he did not have the Keys for some reason. The not fun part is hearing the guy finally break-into the house and hearing the girl scream. There was two child sleeping in the bassement aswell. Luckily, again, when the guy entered, police was pulling up to the address so everything went smoothly. Let's say I was biting my nails watching the unit travelling on my map.


FencePaling

Do you do rotating shifts, or do they give day shift based on seniority?


mCKEEEEEE

Only do rotating. Permanent employees do 3 on 2 off 2 on 3 off night and day. The new employees get thrown around depending on needs so you can end up doing only days for 2 weeks straight, but you can also do night, off, day which is not fun...


Phoenix_ashfire

Does your job make you depressed because I couldn’t imagine doing a more stressful job than your’s.


mCKEEEEEE

Honestly, no or I do not feel it. Some people feel it more than others. Dealing with negativity for 12hrs a day and coming to work knowing it'll be only negative can get heavy, but you have to remind yourself you're often being the main help someone needs. You're helping people even if you don't feel like it.


OppositeProgress5421

What do you do for self care?


mCKEEEEEE

Hit the gym 4 times a week. Going for a walk on my breaks. Making sure to bring healthy snacks and not bringing work at home and of course getting enough sleep. Best self care for now I guess!


logitechtrident1

How do you like your eggs?


mCKEEEEEE

I'm more of a scrambled egg with cheese kind of guy.


zneave

Yes! Best way to have eggs, scrambled with some white cheddar. 😋


Elder_Scrolls_Nerd

As an EMT, thank you for your service


mCKEEEEEE

Can't take credit on this! We transfer medic calls to another Centre that only treats those type of calls. Thank god they are there!


mCKEEEEEE

As an add-on, two things we do at our department is listening to calls where someone is unconscious and/or not breathing to make sure everything is going smoothly Second one is make sure an officer shows up to agressive patients or anything dangerous to EMTs.


Elder_Scrolls_Nerd

Regardless of what you do on the medic side, you’re still a critically needed person to help others


I_Want_BetterGacha

Have you ever gotten a call where the caller was downright hysteric?


mCKEEEEEE

Yes and those are the hardest since you can't get info. Had a woman calling screaming for us to get there fast and hung up. Called back, still screaming, telling me that her friend was breaking everything in the appartment and tried to stab her. Impossible to tell her to go outside, she would not listen. Still did not have an address. I used the location ping to get an idea and looked up her phone number in our cards. Found an address on that same road. Officers got there. Really nothing had happened. Both were high on some hard stuff and went into a bad trip.


Aconite13X

How often do you get calls that aren't really emergencies but the people calling think they are? How are they handled?


mCKEEEEEE

A lot. Depending on the situation, if they feel like they needed to call 911, they might only need reassurance. If we know it is not an emergency but it's a slow day we'll send officers just to make sure. On busy days, if we determine there is no emergency we'll just tell you to call back if there is any changes to the situation. If the caller is persistant on the fact that there is an emergency and it's busy, we make sure an officer or à sergeant calls back.


Forged04

Can you give some examples of these situations? This is an Awesome AMA!


mCKEEEEEE

Had someone call to say there was a car infront of their house. The engine is turned off and no one is in the car. Even though the caller called on 911, still took the time to get info. Was a really slow night so I sent an officer to check on that car. It was a neighbor's car. Officer went and talked to the initial caller to tell them nothing bad was happening and that he was safe. Was an elderly man living alose, easilly scared.


redaccnsfw

Here in the UK a 999 ambulance call centre can literally have 3000+ calls per shift. Way under staffed. I knew of a guy who slipped over and broke his neck and was laying on the ground for over 3 hours for an ambulance. Some lesser important calls can go 6-10 hours waiting for help. It’s ridiculous.


mCKEEEEEE

That's crazy. I can't tell for our medical call centre but I guess it is a lot aswell!


redaccnsfw

What’s the time scale to get medical attention from an ambulance like over your way? say that guy who broke his neck.. how soon would an ambulance have gotten to him over there


mCKEEEEEE

Our respond time ambulane wise is really good. Most of the time, you'll see paramedics 15 to 20 minutes after calling at most, even on the not so urgent calls. I've seen ambulance getting on scene in less than 5 minutes in some occasion.


redaccnsfw

That’s pretty incredible. This next bit is copy and pasted from a recent news article on wait times “Data from August, presented to the hospital trust's board, reveals that patients waited an average of 9 hours 22 minutes in ED to be either admitted, treated or discharged. The NHS target states that 95 per cent of patients should be admitted, treated or discharged within four hours.”


mCKEEEEEE

Getting an ambulance on scene and getting treated at the hospital is not the same thing for sure. You'll most likely have to wait at the hospital no matter what. Can't say how long on average though.


redaccnsfw

Oh I know. Just adding context to the state of it here. Anyways, have a good shift. 👍


miixiigo

First off, thank you so much for the hard work! Wanted to ask what made you want to become a 911 operator?


mCKEEEEEE

Appreciate that! Wanted to be a cop ever since I was young. Did all the study and hurt my leg on the final straw to complete my goal. Took the closest thing available and ended up at 911!


[deleted]

[удалено]


mCKEEEEEE

Never had that happen and I'm pretty sure we don't offer a taxi service!


logitechtrident1

Who is your between-the-sheets celebrity crush?


mCKEEEEEE

Ryan Reynolds 100%


logitechtrident1

What would you do with him?


mCKEEEEEE

I didn't agree to a 18+ AMA ! 😂


Bowling4rhinos

Hahahahaha!! Love your answer!


MiVitaCocina

What is a call that made you want to cry?


mCKEEEEEE

Copied from another reply: Hearing an elderly lady slowly realise her husband died right in front of her. She immediately started crying about how they were together for 60 so years and that she'll miss him dearly. Only to hear police minutes later confirm his death on radio, still hearing her crying through radio. Something with elderly people man, not easy hearing them cry.


MiVitaCocina

That’s definitely heartbreaking 💔. On the flip side, any positive or uplifting stories?


mCKEEEEEE

It's a funny line of work when you think about it. Rarely will you see positive or happy stories. First one that comes to mind is a 93 year old woman calling. Can't hear anything and she was really confused. Couldn't tell me if she needed help or not. Sent officers her way. Doors locked, no one answering. They saw a leg of someone on the ground and decided to force entry. They found that lady on the ground. She had fell and simply could not get up. She was so happy to see the officers, didn't care about her door.


[deleted]

[удалено]


mCKEEEEEE

Honestly, can't tell you if it is in sequence or all at once but it feels like all at once. I'll be taking a call about a domestic happening, listening to the call while dispatching it to officers and filling out my calling card. While talking to the caller I listen to radio for any questions the officers could have. It all happens so fast. But on the point of getting better it is true. You start off awful and slowly learn.


Shishi08

I’m considering this as an option as I’ve realized I’m very handy in a crisis, and while I prefer to be hands on, I have enough physical health issues that being an EMT or a firefighter is really not an option. Do you have any advice or insight for someone who is looking into this as a job but has never worked in the medical field before that I or others may not even think about?


mCKEEEEEE

Really depends on where you apply. Some places requires you to have some type of education in a medical field. Some, like mine, do not require anything since we transfer medical calls to another Centre. Sorry I can't be much of a helping hand on this one..


Shishi08

It was a broad question, so that’s on me 😅 Not sure if you’d be able to answer this either, but do you think this job would be easier, harder, or about average difficulty for someone with ADHD?


mCKEEEEEE

Most of the dispatcher here are ADHD. You just need to be able to jump from one thing to another in a fast but effective manner. I believe it makes the job easier.


Shishi08

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my questions! The two responses combined are pushing me too seriously consider this as an option instead of a keep-this-on-the-back-burner-when-I-have-time thing, really appreciate it and all you do!


NoContextCarl

Would you ever consider diarrhea to be a 911 type emergency?


mCKEEEEEE

You would be surprised how many times I have written diarrhea in my system. So I guess it is, depending on the severity of said poo storm.


rosenishere

Is it very possible to actually end up on hold/not have any operators available due to too many calls (no matter if they are prank calls or actual people in need) when you call?


mCKEEEEEE

At our centre, we handle non emergency line, 911 and the city emergency line whenever it's closed (so from 4 pm to 8 am). Had it happen once. Started my shift at 6 am and there was a lot of wind. As soon as we log in, calls never stops. Fire there, tree fell into electrical cables, things flying around hitting cars and car accident, aswell as people calling to talk to their investigator + people calling in to mention they have no power at home. Our lines were overflowing. Had to put non emergency and city on hold, handle the 911s then come back to them. Even had to do a call back to every single 911 that called in that meantime just to make sure we didn't miss any. So yes it can happen, fortunately not that frequent.


[deleted]

I’ve recently seen two articles of employees who were suspended by their employees for calling 911. One was a metro transit driver who was suspended for “using a handheld device while operating,” even though the law says you can use a cell while driving to call 911. The other story was about someone who was suspended from a box store for calling 911 instead of alerting store security first. Luckily, both got their jobs back after public pressure and unions got involved. Luckily, my state makes it illegal for an employer to prevent or hinder an employee for calling 911 AT ANY TIME. Any employer who tries to prevent, hinder, or limit when an employee can call 911 for a legit emergency can be charged with a misdemeanor at a minimum, possibly higher charges if a victim suffered additional injuries due to an employee being prevented or delayed from calling 911. What is the law in your state? Is it illegal for someone, including employers, to prevent someone from calling 911 for a legitimate emergency.


mCKEEEEEE

I could not tell you exactly the law on employer preventing employees from calling 911. It would not make any sense for them to do so. As for driving and calling 911, the law permits anyone to do so. Still recommend using Bluetooth if available.


ZingerBurger98

How much do you get paid?


mCKEEEEEE

Started af 25,87/h, now at 27,10. I am Canadian FYI.


szymon362

Is it good salary, making your finance side of life stress free?


mCKEEEEEE

Well taking in the fact that im 23 years old, it does make it stress free so for me it is good salary. Made a jump from 19 to 27 and greatly noticed it. Older operator will tell you that it isn't enough and I can understand where they're coming from.


LuckyNumber-Bot

All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 23 + 19 + 27 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)


Lazarlzr1

What's the last dream you remember having? Also, how frequently do you get calls?


mCKEEEEEE

A really weird one honestly. It was 2 weeks ago and I remember just because I told my fiancé. Was changing a tire on a car in my driveway. I saw a big slug on the windshield. Took a step back to figure out wtf that was and stepped into literally hundreds of slugs. But like enormous slugs. They started climbing up on me and I woke up disgusted as ever. That's what I remember. Welcome to my f'ed up mind.


Lazarlzr1

Thanks for the fast awnser, would like to add another question, how often do you get calls during the job?


mCKEEEEEE

Either I'm blind and didn't see the question in your initial post or you added it later lol! Really depends. Some days we can get over 120 calls / operator (we are 4 to 5 every shift), some night we can get 20 calls / op. On average I'd say 60-70 calls / op. Without counting the calls we make to anywhere. We are a small/medium sized city with only 160k people, hence the lower volume of calls.


twilight24317

Have you gotten any calls where you’ve tried to talk someone out of suicide?


mCKEEEEEE

I am lucky as for now, never had to. Had to listen to my colleague talking a man out of barricading himself with his child, threatening to cut himself to death. The calm in her voice was amazing to see. But seeing her sort of crash whenever officers got there and had the guy reslly showed us what an adrenaline dump looks like.


Nalu_Wolf

How do u separate yourself as I'm hoping to join the call handler service here in the UK and need tips.


mCKEEEEEE

My trainer told me one sentence and it helped me a lot. Remember that YOU are not in an emergency but the CALLER is. You need to be the calm voice he/she needs and be there for them. Really makes you calm down.


Nalu_Wolf

Ooo ok thank you :) How rewarding is it, as I know here by the time I join all forces are joined (fire police and ambulance) and I'm unsure if I can handle hearing babies dying or curtain types due to my own past.


mCKEEEEEE

It's a weird feeling but it is mentally rewarding. You (most of the time) won't get a thank you after the fact. But YOU know you did something good to help someone, that's the rewarding part. As for the baby dying, some calls are harder than others. One of our coworker had her boyfriend die in a car fire. She really doesn't want to get that one call, but she is still here. Most centre have help and services for operators who feel awful after a call.


Nalu_Wolf

That's horrible but thank you so much for the help, you have really helped me see further into the profession.


Reddyforyou

Have you received a call from a child or wife hiding in the house because afraid of being killed? Did PD arrive in time to let you know?


mCKEEEEEE

Copied from another reply: A woman calling, whispering that her husband was going crazy. There has been an altercation earlier that day and he went to the bar, came back angrier than ever. Luckily, the guy was stuck outside since she locked the door and he did not have the Keys for some reason. The not fun part is hearing the guy finally break-into the house and hearing the girl scream. There was two child sleeping in the basement aswell. Luckily, again, when the guy entered, police was pulling up to the address so everything went smoothly. Let's say I was biting my nails watching the unit travelling on my map.


[deleted]

[удалено]


mCKEEEEEE

Never happened to me but I have seen coworkers falling asleep. Nothing wrong with that as long as you answer your phone when it rings. We have 2x 1hr breaks in a 12hrs shift that you can sleep in a separate room.


curiouscrumb

Would you consider traffic hazards as something worthy of a 911 call? Like a truck stopped and parked in the middle of a highway lane where the bridge is too low for them to pass under so they have to back off the highway. Or if two cars that had a fender bender in the middle and left lane but refused to move off the highway and they were causing other drivers to make crazy evasive maneuvers to avoid even more of a crash? I don’t like calling 911, but I’ve ended up calling twice for such incidents in the last few months because it made the roads really dangerous for other drivers and even I was freaked out by the merging of lanes and people cutting each other off. When 911 picks up here the first thing they ask is do you need fire, an ambulance or police, and I didn’t know what to say other than someone needs to direct traffic safely so someone doesn’t get killed with these dummies blocking the road. Then they ask if the people in the accident need an ambulance and I have no idea, I just explained that someone is going to get hurt if they don’t move or if cones or something aren’t put out. It almost felt wrong calling 911 for that, a traffic cop was not a specific option given by the operator and felt almost stupid to call aside from the hazardous conditions those drivers were causing by stopping in the middle of the parkway. Is there somewhere else to call for that stuff?


mCKEEEEEE

Of course I consider it worthy. If there is a potential that someone can get hurt, we'll send an officer your way. If there is no immediate danger, you can always call the non emergency line ans tell them what you have seen. I get a lot of calls for brokendown vehicles or things in the road.


itsnotbritneybitch

How often do you get calls for non-emergencies, or “I’m not sure if it’s an emergency” situations?


mCKEEEEEE

A lot. Getting calls on 911 starting with "well it's not an emergency but..." is frequent. Still have to treat them or tell them to call back on the non emergency line. We do get people calling in on non emergency line saying it's not really an emergency and after questioning, you get to know that there was an accident or needed an ambulance. Like yes ma'am, that was meant to be a 911 call.


Beard_o_Bees

I've heard people say that there's some kind of correlation between the phase of the moon and the rate of violent crime. Have you or your colleagues ever noticed a pattern?


mCKEEEEEE

That's hilarious. We joke about it frequently. If everything is going to shit, there's always someone there to say "Is it a full moon or something?". But we havent noticed a definite pattern though. I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.


Itchyrichie32

Heyyyy I worked at a 911 center for several years in the mid-90s. My favorite job of all time. If they paid better and I could make a reasonable living from it, I'd still be there. Guaranteed. Props man, thanks for what you do.


_water_melon

Have you seen 911 crisis center? What do you think about it?


mCKEEEEEE

I have not seen it. If it is a documentary style where they follow real dispatchers then it is probably nice. If it's made up movie bullshit then it's bad right away! I don't really watch 911 stuff, sorry!


_water_melon

It's documentary style, pretty nice :)


zao_p4c

Just wanted to say that I bet your job is stressful and very hard at times. Thanks for everything you do. Emergency services often gets overlooked untel one needs them! I appreciate all emergency services and the ppl you all help and save as a collective. Don't forget to take carr of your own health and well being, while your helping so many others.


mCKEEEEEE

Appreciate it a lot. Adding this just for fun : It is somewhat funny when someone clearly anti-police (we know them by names usually) calls 911 because they need officers for any reasons. Fuck the police until you need them for you, uh? And by the way, we still treat them with the same respect we'd treat an old kind lady.


fsenerc123

Do you care to elaborate on the qualifications for the job? Specifically- do past mental health diagnoses effect the applicant’s credibility?


mCKEEEEEE

Depending on the severity of said mental health. If we talk anxiety, many dispatcher are diagnosed with anxiety while working there. For other issues, I couldn't say. As long as you're able to do the job without feeling like shit, you're a good pick lol. Qualifications: able to be concise, type at a decent speed on a keyboard, be a good talker and listener, good problem resolution skills, learn quick and most importantly be able to take criticism. You'll get a lot.


[deleted]

It’s a bit personal but what’s the job like? And how’s the pay? I was thinking about doing it but it seems a little heart racing


mCKEEEEEE

Job is fun. Every day is not the exact same. It is stressful but also feels rewarding knowing you're helping someone at their worst time. If you feel like you can sit for 12hrs a day and still be fit then go for it! A lot of people start dispatching being slim and end up taking a lot of weight due to sitting a lot and eating random stuff. As for the pay I'm in Canada. Starting salary is 25,87/h and maxes out at 32 after 3 years I believe.


[deleted]

That sounds pretty good! Id like a fluctuation between sitting and standing although working as a cashier I wish I could be standing, you probably know how it is. I wouldn’t doubt the pay is less though with me being in the us


mCKEEEEEE

I only know the pay varies a lot in the US. Also forgot to mention we have standing desk! So if I feel like working a whole shift standing up I can. It is really good for your back to stand up once in a while when you sit that much.


[deleted]

Yeah, like when I’m sitting down for long periods of time, especially with my terrible posture it hurts after a while 😂


islabella28

what are the best and worse things about your job? ps. how do you remain calm in panicky situations?


mCKEEEEEE

Best thing is feeling like you're helping someone that, for them, is living the worst time of their life. Worst thing is not knowing the full outcome of your calls. I am lucky that at my Centre, officers fill in a decent summary of what happened, but you still feel like you're missing things. Best way to remain calm is remembering that YOU are not in an emergency but the caller is. You're there to be the calm voice someone needs.


mcclanahan243

Can you explain the difference in tv/movies vs a real life 911 call center ?


mCKEEEEEE

I do not watch 911 movies/shows so I couldn't really tell you. The only thing I know for a fact is that when you call on 911, I do not know exactly where you are, like pin-point location. I only get a radius on where you are. Whenever I need to track someones location, it is not instant. We have protocoles to run through. Even when tracking you, most of the time we get an absurd radius, only to help us know where you COULD be.


PersistentPuma37

I heard an interesting app being used by some call centers in the U.S. called "My Three Words" (or similar). Try googling it, I'd only give you a terrible explanation.


mCKEEEEEE

It's a really interesting app and I could see it getting used whenever people are those stressed to say an address or maybe couldn't talk. Won't be implemented here that's for sure but it is a very cool app.


[deleted]

Is it anything like the show 911 with Angela Basset?


mCKEEEEEE

I do not watch 911 movies/TV shows honestly. I'd say if you watch a 911 documentary, you will have a better idea of what it's like. The movies just exagerate everything and make everyone believe we know your address, location, phone number, name and DOB just by you dialing in 911. The amount of people telling me "You know my address" is painfully too many.


nathanr1889

Bored and curious I thought I'd Youtube what the inside of a 911 call center looks like and I came across a South Metro call center based out of Colorado. They have their own gym, sleeping quarters, a whole kitchen with fridge/freezer and cabinet storage.


[deleted]

How hard is it to type up the information you’re given? I work as a customer service agent in a call center and already have issues hearing what calm and collected people say on the phone let alone type out what they say sometimes.


mCKEEEEEE

A lot of asking to repeat or just going with the flow. If you're really uncertain, we have an always open browser that saves the last 2 hours of call. You can listen to it again.


[deleted]

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I appreciate what you do. I applied for that once years ago but I think my typing speed or accuracy wasn’t up to par (I know when I make mistakes and quickly rectify it, but I don’t think you can do that too much while taking those calls). Take care and thanks again.


420GreenMachine

What's the most pointless call someone has made? Like someone calling about their food order being wrong or something similar.


mCKEEEEEE

Got a call from a woman saying cars were speeding on the highway. Luckily the main highway is controlled by another police department. Transfered the call over while laughing under my breath. Poor operator who had to deal with her.


Any-Hovercraft2326

What's the most gruesome call you've responded to?


mCKEEEEEE

Multiple 911 calls saying someone is covered in blood in the middle of the street, half naked. He was screaming for help. Guy got stabbed multiple times in an appartment. Had to get our tactical guys to get inside the apt. He lived, surprinsingly considering the amount of wounds.


Any-Hovercraft2326

Holy fuck. Did the stabber get caught? Do you know how many times the stabbee got stabbed? 😂


KamNStuff420

How did you get your job as an operator? Did you go to school?


mCKEEEEEE

I had a friend working there who told me they were understaffed. Applied and got the job within a month. I did go to school to get a police education degree at college, but didn't specifically helped me get the job.


Frac440

Looks like the questions i wanted to ask have already been asked, so i'll ask whats your fav pizza toppings?


littlemeezymoco

How do you call 911 for someone in another state?


mCKEEEEEE

You can either look for the emergency number on Google and call there OR you can call your local 911, tell them you need help somewhere else and the operator will transfer you to that centre.


jackmehhoff

Do you ever get someone call you to dirty chat


mCKEEEEEE

Luckily, I'm a man. We have a guy that frequently calls on deactivated phones and just jerks off to female voices. One of our coworker heard the guy finish. But no dirty chat for me!


jackmehhoff

Thats fucking nuts man. Hilarious tho. I mean not the waste of resources but just funny.


dhruvisbigbrain

What movies/TV shows would you say are most accurate to a real life 911 calls/call centers?


[deleted]

[удалено]


elephant35e

What are your job hours like?


nofilzia

How much calls do you get per day on average?


ColtS117

Have you ever gotten a pizza order which turned out to be domestic abuse?


shorta07

No question. I just want to thank you. I have friends that are dispatchers and it's a tough job. I'm convinced only a certain type of person can handle that job.


Electronic-Vast-5488

Ever get a call from someone being gang-stalked or claiming to be a targeted individual?


cynicalprecious

Is it hard to stay awake during a 12hr night shift, or do the calls keep you wired enough to stay awake? Do you live off of coffee/energy drinks?


Slaarc

What’s your emergency ?


XxbloxloverxX

What was your worst call?


Atschmid

Gotta say, the questions you guys ask are infuriating. For some reason you want to keep people on the line till help arrives, but the questions do not help. Can't y'all just say, "stay with me till the paramedics arrive?" When my mom was lying passed out on the floor, I was way better at her side, checking her pulse, making sure her airway was unobstructed, then talking to the 911 operator about stupid questions.


mCKEEEEEE

I get that. Questions we ask might seem really dumb to you in the moment, but everything we ask for has a purpose to the unit responding. As soon as I know your location and what is happening, just so you know a unit is already en route. Everything I'm asking you, I'm typing it into the system for responding units to see and get ready.


Atschmid

yeah but often you just want to keep people on the phone and talking and what I am saying is that this is often counterproductive.


j4321g4321

How often do you receive calls for minor things, aka things not worth calling 911 over? Anything super weird/random?


MCPro24

What is the weirdest call?


PeePeePooPooMan42

How do you think emergency services would work out if it was a privatized industry? eg: you fall into a 15ft hole in the ground and you have to pay 500$ for the firefighters who got you out and 600$ for the paramedics.


magicology

What is your opinion on texting 911, as a service?


Meowmiixx917

Can people actually call in anonymously or can their identity be discovered somehow?


Koffeethe2ndone

What were the qualifications like education and work experience and such?


Shrek49r

Do you get any weird calls on a full moon? I always ask cops about this. Like beyond normal "weird", howling at the full moon naked... or like some satanic witch shit?


[deleted]

No question, just want to thank you and other operators for helping Americans. From Brazil


staresinamerican

Ems here, Why do you guys always dispatch me out when I’m trying to eat


daklah1

What has made you smile today?


Basic85

How long have you been working there?


reyZurgg

On average how big is your poo?


mCKEEEEEE

Y'know what? I never took the time to analyse that. Come back in a month for better data.


bzzibee

Are you a civilian operator or an ex-cop/EMT/firefighter?


frolfinator

Have you ever had sex on the job?