So, the big change that I mentioned possibly happening.......has happened. I have been at American Ambulance since December of 2000, when they decided to go from crew dispatchers to full timers. "Crew" is a holy word at American, and those employees that were there before they disbanded it a few years ago(they brought it back, but it's not the same) knows what the true "crew" meaning is. For years crew was an distinct honor if you were selected. There were 4 crews, A, B, C, and D crew, rotating 3 on, 3 off, days, nights, and each crew had a couple of members that would rotate from dispatching for them and on the road. During the day, there was 1 full time dispatcher, and either a crew member or supervisor would fill in.
I was one of the first full time dispatchers that they hired when they switched over. I had a weird schedule at first, along with working part time at Putnam dispatch, and it was, and still is, totally different than any other dispatch center around. I've seen dispatchers and schedulers come and go through out the years, some good, some bad. I put up with the crappy shifts for the first several years, while I watched dispatchers become paramedics, and change their minds multiple times whether they wanted 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shift, or left for other jobs, and I put up with it.... I'm the junior guy, I'll get my turn when it comes. I worked my way up the seniority list, and just when I was ready for my Monday-Friday days spot, we again went short handed, and the director of operations decided to eliminate the M-F days spot, which left Sunday through Thursday or Tuesday through Saturday. At this time we had our daughter and we had daycare issues. My ex-wife had to quit numerous jobs because my schedule would change. I worked the grave shift for quite a while and after that I don't really remember because of shift changes and being shorthanded, it caused a lot of problems in my former marriage.
So I guess this year got to the point where I was burnt out, not from the stress, but more the travel, I guess. There is nothing worse than going into work in a great, happy mood, and leaving the day, not only mentally exhausted from playing "tetris" with calls on the spreadsheet, and the phone calls, but exhausted from having to work with stressed out people, and then having to drive 40 minutes home. I have been there 6 years, and I think it took me 2 years to learn the job to where I could do it comfortably(after writing hundreds of incident reports from my mix ups), and that's with growing up and knowing most of the City. It is a long, learning experience in becoming a good American dispatcher.
So I applied for two jobs that I heard of opening, UConn dispatch in Storrs, and Quinebaug Valley Dispatch. I got the job at QV, which is a job I have wanted since I was 19 and first started in the fire service. Closer to home, better benefits and insurance, around 30 fire departments, and several ambulance corps., and no more $80 in gas every week. Unfortunately, one of my best friends Rene, got hired as a dispatcher at American and is now training, when I am now leaving in two weeks. How ever I hope to remain per-diem as an EMT, so Rene, here's some advice from what I have learned over the years.
Over the past 6 years I have noticed and come to realize that even though some will, you can't stress out over:
The spreadsheets will never have the calls placed perfectly, and yes, calls will get squeezed onto the spreadsheets in impossible spots, but that's the schedulers job to not turn down calls and patients, and it's our job to make it work either where they put it, or somewhere else when the time comes to dispatch the call. You will get short on cars and there will be times where you will be at city coverage, praying to God that 911 won't ring or Station PQ calls, before your next available ambulance gets to the hospital or back to the area from Hartford, Yale, Umass, Boston, or Providence. People will make mistakes in call taking, and crews will always think that you are making the totally wrong decisions with giving them a call, when they can't see the 20 other cars on the spreadsheet and what they are doing or scheduled for. People will expect you to be a great dispatcher and not mess up, while you are still learning the job. You are human, you will forget to do things every now and then, and make mistakes.
You will get emergencies from addresses that for the life of you, you can never spell the street correctly(hint: break out the Rand McNally map books on the bookcase, cause in the back of the book there is an alphabetical index, by street and by town). Nursing homes will call from out of the Norwich area for a patient to go to the hospital. The patient will be an unresponsive diabetic with difficulty breathing, they will refuse to call 911 to get local services, and take the 45 e.t.a. that you give them because the doctor said it's not an emergency and he told them not to call 911. Hospitals will expect you to pull an extra ambulance out of your buttocks, and ask to talk to a supervisor when they don't like the pick up time you give them(even though it's an honest one). You will forget to fax a prior authorization for insurance when it gets very busy upstairs. You will have to write many information reports on your errors, and even write them when it's not your error to explain what happened on your end(C.Y.A.) Your decision making skills will be questioned, even if it's the right one. And the last thing that I can remember right now is, if you find yourself getting into a jam, ask Matt for help, he can clear up just about any spreadsheet mess, even when no one else can see a way. Watch him, pay attention to him, he's the best out there. Oh yeah, b.t.w., remember, there is a shift In time, and a shift Out GOAL!!!!
Seriously though, American is a great bunch of dedicated, caring people, and I have totally enjoyed working with all of them. I've had great times and rough times, but most of all, American is something that Norwich, and CT can be proud of. I've worked with a great bunch of EMT's, Paramedics, Supervisors, and chair car drivers. For my co-workers upstairs in dispatch/scheduling, "You can't get blood out of a stone.......... unless you squeeze it so hard you slice the inside of your hand open on a rough edge....hahaha I will miss you all, and a special thanks to Matt. RIGHT THEN!!! We need to relieve some stress and go golfing....
I was one of the first full time dispatchers that they hired when they switched over. I had a weird schedule at first, along with working part time at Putnam dispatch, and it was, and still is, totally different than any other dispatch center around. I've seen dispatchers and schedulers come and go through out the years, some good, some bad. I put up with the crappy shifts for the first several years, while I watched dispatchers become paramedics, and change their minds multiple times whether they wanted 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shift, or left for other jobs, and I put up with it.... I'm the junior guy, I'll get my turn when it comes. I worked my way up the seniority list, and just when I was ready for my Monday-Friday days spot, we again went short handed, and the director of operations decided to eliminate the M-F days spot, which left Sunday through Thursday or Tuesday through Saturday. At this time we had our daughter and we had daycare issues. My ex-wife had to quit numerous jobs because my schedule would change. I worked the grave shift for quite a while and after that I don't really remember because of shift changes and being shorthanded, it caused a lot of problems in my former marriage.
So I guess this year got to the point where I was burnt out, not from the stress, but more the travel, I guess. There is nothing worse than going into work in a great, happy mood, and leaving the day, not only mentally exhausted from playing "tetris" with calls on the spreadsheet, and the phone calls, but exhausted from having to work with stressed out people, and then having to drive 40 minutes home. I have been there 6 years, and I think it took me 2 years to learn the job to where I could do it comfortably(after writing hundreds of incident reports from my mix ups), and that's with growing up and knowing most of the City. It is a long, learning experience in becoming a good American dispatcher.
So I applied for two jobs that I heard of opening, UConn dispatch in Storrs, and Quinebaug Valley Dispatch. I got the job at QV, which is a job I have wanted since I was 19 and first started in the fire service. Closer to home, better benefits and insurance, around 30 fire departments, and several ambulance corps., and no more $80 in gas every week. Unfortunately, one of my best friends Rene, got hired as a dispatcher at American and is now training, when I am now leaving in two weeks. How ever I hope to remain per-diem as an EMT, so Rene, here's some advice from what I have learned over the years.
Over the past 6 years I have noticed and come to realize that even though some will, you can't stress out over:
The spreadsheets will never have the calls placed perfectly, and yes, calls will get squeezed onto the spreadsheets in impossible spots, but that's the schedulers job to not turn down calls and patients, and it's our job to make it work either where they put it, or somewhere else when the time comes to dispatch the call. You will get short on cars and there will be times where you will be at city coverage, praying to God that 911 won't ring or Station PQ calls, before your next available ambulance gets to the hospital or back to the area from Hartford, Yale, Umass, Boston, or Providence. People will make mistakes in call taking, and crews will always think that you are making the totally wrong decisions with giving them a call, when they can't see the 20 other cars on the spreadsheet and what they are doing or scheduled for. People will expect you to be a great dispatcher and not mess up, while you are still learning the job. You are human, you will forget to do things every now and then, and make mistakes.
You will get emergencies from addresses that for the life of you, you can never spell the street correctly(hint: break out the Rand McNally map books on the bookcase, cause in the back of the book there is an alphabetical index, by street and by town). Nursing homes will call from out of the Norwich area for a patient to go to the hospital. The patient will be an unresponsive diabetic with difficulty breathing, they will refuse to call 911 to get local services, and take the 45 e.t.a. that you give them because the doctor said it's not an emergency and he told them not to call 911. Hospitals will expect you to pull an extra ambulance out of your buttocks, and ask to talk to a supervisor when they don't like the pick up time you give them(even though it's an honest one). You will forget to fax a prior authorization for insurance when it gets very busy upstairs. You will have to write many information reports on your errors, and even write them when it's not your error to explain what happened on your end(C.Y.A.) Your decision making skills will be questioned, even if it's the right one. And the last thing that I can remember right now is, if you find yourself getting into a jam, ask Matt for help, he can clear up just about any spreadsheet mess, even when no one else can see a way. Watch him, pay attention to him, he's the best out there. Oh yeah, b.t.w., remember, there is a shift In time, and a shift Out GOAL!!!!
Seriously though, American is a great bunch of dedicated, caring people, and I have totally enjoyed working with all of them. I've had great times and rough times, but most of all, American is something that Norwich, and CT can be proud of. I've worked with a great bunch of EMT's, Paramedics, Supervisors, and chair car drivers. For my co-workers upstairs in dispatch/scheduling, "You can't get blood out of a stone.......... unless you squeeze it so hard you slice the inside of your hand open on a rough edge....hahaha I will miss you all, and a special thanks to Matt. RIGHT THEN!!! We need to relieve some stress and go golfing....
