Telecommunicator -dispatcher -
I know the political correctness but I am not offended by the title. At the end of the day, it is the same job - the same responsiblities - the same blessed opportunities.
That being said, I have been a TC for going on 8 years. This has been the job of a lifetime for me. There have been so many opportunities afforded me during this time. I am now a supervisor - going on 2 years. I am no longer one of "us" I am one of "them" because of the promotion but to me, it is all in the professionalism. We are still like a family and share with each other the ups and downs of our job as well as some of our personal lives. We connect with so many others "out there in radio land" becasue the some of the calls we receive become all too familiar to us. Some calls bring back memories of personal experiences while others become learning experiences.
My job alongside of TC Supervisor is training officer which is my passion. I love being able to break the aspects of the job down into bitesize pieces to explain and teach those who are willing to learn. Before becoming training officer, I trained 3 people who have moved on - one is now an officer - the other is a dispatcher for the highway patrol and the third is now training someone. This, to me, speaks volumes. They were willing students and I was honored to teach them.
At this point, I am taking things one day at a time and wait to see what blessing is given to me in this field. Each call is a blessing in disguise or a test of our abilities. Either way, it is a blessing and I try to view it as such.
This is a journey - a career - a job - an opportunity - a blessing. However you view it, do it in a way that will ensure EVERYONE goes home at the end of the shift!