SOME ARE CALLED DISPATCHERS. OTHERS ARE CALLED OPERATOR OR CLERK; OR TELECOMMUNICATOR OR AIDE. SOME ARE POLICE OFFICERS; MOST ARE NOT. THE NAME IS NOT IMPORTANT. BUT THEY ARE.
DISPATCHERS SERVE MANY MASTERS, YET THEY ARE MASTERS THEMSELVES. SOME SERVE THE POLICE, OR FIRE. OTHERS SERVE E.M.S., OR SHERIFFS. SOME SERVE THE HIGHWAY PATROL. MANY SERVE ALL OF THESE. YET, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. BUT THEY ARE.
DISPATCHERS PERFORM MANY FUNCTIONS. THEY COMMAND THE RADIO CHANNELS THAT NO ONE ELSE UNDERSTANDS. THEY MAKE SENSE OF THE UNSENSIBLE, HEAR THE UNHEARABLE, REMEMBER EVERYTHING, FORGET NOTHING.
YET, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. BUT THEY ARE.
EMERGENCY PHONE CALLS ARE NEVER-ENDING: PROBLEMS TO MAKE A PRIEST BLUSH; CRISIS THAT DEFY RESOLUTION; COMPLEXITIES TO CONFOUND A LAWYER. WITH THE CLOCK RUNNING, SOMEONE IS WATCHING. ARE THEY PERFORMING UP TO SPEED? YET, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. BUT THEY ARE.
SOME DEAL WITH PROBLEMS AT THE COUNTER. IS THE COMPUTER UP? THE OFFICER NEEDS THE INFORMATION NOW! DOESN'T ANYONE REALIZE THAT LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE? ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT?
EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH. PAY TOO OFTEN IS LOW. HOURS ARE USUALLY LONG. SHIFTWORK AND OVERTIME, CHRISTMAS AND EASTER...COMPLAINTS ARE OF NO AVAIL. THERE IS NO ONE TO LISTEN. YET, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
DISPATCHERS ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW WHAT A POLICE OFFICER KNOWS WITHOUT THE SAME TRAINING. FOR WHO DOES THE OFFICER LOOK TO FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAW, RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR HELP. OF COURSE THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT EITHER.
DISPATCHERS ARE THE HUB. WE KNOW THEY ARE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. WE KNOW, EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE DOES. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.
DISPATCHING IS AN OUTRAGEOUS CAREER. FEW PEOPLE CAN TAKE IT. FEW PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO. FEW PEOPLE HAVE THE STAMINA. FEW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD IT.
AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.
POLICE OFFICERS NEED DISPATCHERS. FIRE FIGHTERS NEED DISPATCHERS. THE
COMMUNITY NEEDS DISPATCHERS. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT. AND SO ARE THEY.
THIS WAS WRITTEN IN COMMEMORATION
OF THE FIRST NATIONAL DISPATCHERS OF
THE WEEK, 1987. AUTHOR IS ALAN BURTON
