Back several years ago, I was on an island, not a real island but a fictional in my mind island. I was sharing my island with several people. They were co-workers whom I worked well with and friends by association such as police officers, fire fighters, and emt's from other agencies. I was feeling good about my connections and my island. Then I took another job moving to dispatch. I got a sit down job, with a regular shift, and the ability to have a some what normal life. In that move, I have had to give up many things, one of those was all these people on my island. They all swam away, or sailed or just got buried in the sand I guess. I started working the dayshift in dispatch to fill an opening left by a previous employee. And that continued for some time. I enjoyed seeing people and dealing with people. Well a few years later I lost the shift due to seniority at which time someone with higher seniority took the shift and I got moved to nights. Now, I didn't and still don't mind nights. I have been used to working nights and got used to staying up late from previous jobs. I just get so lonely. I know deep right? A dispatcher saying they get lonely. That is what a majority of my calls are at night. There are a few regulars who are night owls or those who just never seem to sleep and call about silly things. We have one guy for example, he will be watching the TV weather and listening to the scanner, and call just to ask if there has been a weather watch or warning issued for our area. I don't mind it, when I am not busy. But sometimes he calls during me being busy with something that needs handled over his call. I know some of the others I work with get annoyed at any calls that they feel the caller should handle themselves. Anyways, yes Lonely. I don't have many people who are up when I am. Of course I have officer's working, but they don't always stop in to visit and say hello. They used to visit us when I was working EMS. I am not complaining, I love working on my own, and not being bothered some days. But I also have become a people person. I think being alone or feeling alone is what leads to affairs. I honestly think that a majority of my issues when I cheated on my current wife, girlfriend at the time when I was working in EMS was because I was lonely at night, and the person I found worked late nights, and we had a few things in common. I think we had something in common, but I don't remember. And looking back I don't know what it was if we did. She drank large amounts of alcohol nearly every night and didn't see a thing wrong with having open alcohol in a vehicle or driving around while drinking. She had a former fiance' who was in prison, for drug charges, whom she was still talking to, whom she still loved, and became very emotional about when someone bad mouthed him. Rambling I know, but I am doing good keeping this going. Once we were driving around in the country with a girl that lived with her and a guy that the live in friend saw now and then. The girls had been drinking. I was sober, like normal. We went to the lake at the night, and she wanted to walk out a few feet into the lake. So she did, and got her pants wet. The roommate was the owner of the car and told her she had to take her pants off if she was getting in her car. So she did. Stripped down to her panties. And we headed towards the house. Remember that the girls are intoxicated. Well then she brought up something about missing her ex, and that set the guy off. I didn't really get along with him ever, I talked with him, and tried to be nice. But to me he was strange with his questions and all. Anyways he actually stood up for me, and said you know you need to forget about him, he is in prison, you have a good guy here in front of you and you need to realize that. She was so pissed off, she ended up having a panic attack and getting fired up at him. I didn't think we would last much longer, she started running around with one of her step-brother's friends. She then sent me an email saying she didn't want to see me any longer. What a way to get dumped. She said it was her. Well just a few days later she wanted to talk and I didn't want to. But I did. I had caught her kissing on the step-brother's friend in the parking lot, she told me, that I didn't see it. I know what I see and I saw that. She told me he had to bring something that belonged to her grandmother back. They got married a few years later. And good for them. They aren't together anymore, last I knew she was back with the guy from prison after he was released. I could really care less. I am just so burned about the situation and doing that to my girlfriend at the time, and blaming it on me just not being sure about our relationship and needing space. But it continues with others and always will. EMS, Police, Dispatch, Fire fighters have some of the highest rates of affairs, and divorce. I don't know where that comes from but I have always been told that.
Early in the shift I was sort of busy. I took a call from one of the local bars, a female advised she had went out to her vehicle parked unlocked behind the bar and was missing money and her keys.
Tonight I took a couple calls from the same person, once reporting a supicious person, the 2nd call to update the location, and then the 3rd to advise that the man was trying to get into a vehicle. When my officer arrived and made contact, the male was intoxicated and was not trying to get into a vehicle but was talking to someone in the vehicle.
Sometimes what we get from citizen's is not always what is going on. Some citizens are quick to panic.
Later in the middle of the shift a loud female came into the lobby, wanting to file a report. She had left her car parked at a convenience store because she was intoxicated and an officer had transported her home. Well she left it unlocked and claimed that $2000 in cash was taken from the vehicle according to her, and a junk older model cell phone. The officer went to the convenience store and reviewed the videos, the car was parked in front of the store, and the cameras only cover the pumps and inside the store. They were unable to see anything.
Prior to the officers going to review the video, I received a disturbance call. The bar where the theft from the vehicle was reported earlier in the shift had closed and a woman was outside asking for a ride. When the subjects there declined she attempted to get into their vehicle and proceeded to start running her mouth and walking around in circles.
Just a little of my thoughts.....
Dispatchers tell people like police where to go, dispatchers make quite a bit less money than their officers. The officers rely on the dispatchers to tell them where to go and about the situation and assemble the resources and get them there also. The dispatcher relies on the officer to update on the situation and request additional resources as needed. They are essentially partners with different pay. I am not preaching on pay here, I just had a thought and wanted to get it out there.
Everyone stay safe and thank your public safety professionals each time you get a chance. We don't hear it very often!
Early in the shift I was sort of busy. I took a call from one of the local bars, a female advised she had went out to her vehicle parked unlocked behind the bar and was missing money and her keys.
Tonight I took a couple calls from the same person, once reporting a supicious person, the 2nd call to update the location, and then the 3rd to advise that the man was trying to get into a vehicle. When my officer arrived and made contact, the male was intoxicated and was not trying to get into a vehicle but was talking to someone in the vehicle.
Sometimes what we get from citizen's is not always what is going on. Some citizens are quick to panic.
Later in the middle of the shift a loud female came into the lobby, wanting to file a report. She had left her car parked at a convenience store because she was intoxicated and an officer had transported her home. Well she left it unlocked and claimed that $2000 in cash was taken from the vehicle according to her, and a junk older model cell phone. The officer went to the convenience store and reviewed the videos, the car was parked in front of the store, and the cameras only cover the pumps and inside the store. They were unable to see anything.
Prior to the officers going to review the video, I received a disturbance call. The bar where the theft from the vehicle was reported earlier in the shift had closed and a woman was outside asking for a ride. When the subjects there declined she attempted to get into their vehicle and proceeded to start running her mouth and walking around in circles.
Just a little of my thoughts.....
Dispatchers tell people like police where to go, dispatchers make quite a bit less money than their officers. The officers rely on the dispatchers to tell them where to go and about the situation and assemble the resources and get them there also. The dispatcher relies on the officer to update on the situation and request additional resources as needed. They are essentially partners with different pay. I am not preaching on pay here, I just had a thought and wanted to get it out there.
Everyone stay safe and thank your public safety professionals each time you get a chance. We don't hear it very often!