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Emergency Dispatcher/911 Operator:
I get to work 15 min before my shift starts and get an update on everything that happened since my last shift and what is currently going on.
I sit and wait for officers to call or phones to ring and handle each situation as it comes up. There is no way to plan your day because each one is different. Officers do traffic stops, respond to new calls or continue previous investigations. The calls can range from the simple question (How do I get a restraining order?); to stupid (I called 911 to report that my phone doesn't work!); to urgent (My dad just hit my mom and he is chasing her around the house carrying a knife!). They can be separated by an hour or occur at the same time.
In between calls, I review messages from other departments and take action if necessary. Some messages are requests for information while others are informative such as a recent burglary, armed robbery, etc. I make copies of the informative ones and route those as needed. The requests for info I process.
Not much to type since it varies so much but that is my day. And yes, all three of those sample calls are real ones I have taken over the years.
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A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin
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