List of Contributions

APCO COnference

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-11-2018 13:20
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

I am home now from APCO and wrote about my trip on my personal blog. http://greycliffschronicles.blogspot.com/

New Community is Open: Fish & Game Communications Centers

Posted By Diana Sprain 07-01-2018 20:33
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Calling all of you FIsh & Game Telecommunicators & field personnel who work in the conservation or natural resources division of Public Safety. We have our own Community! Come join the group. Share your ideas. How do you handle this unique job? Not only do we work with people but we must deal ...

Meet & greet at APCO 2018

Posted By Diana Sprain 06-30-2018 10:30
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

We so seldom have the opportunity to meet and greet others from out profession and APCO is that chance. I'm attending on my own dime, taking vacation time to do so. I want to make the most of it. How do you pick me out in the crowd? I'm the short white gal with white/grey hair. Yup, been doing this for ...

Book is available

Posted By Diana Sprain 10-01-2015 10:33
Found In Community: Telecommunicators: On the front line Blogs

Hello, I am proud to announce my book, "What is your emergency? The history of Public Safety Dispatching in America" is now in print (and via KIndle) on Amazon. In about 6-8 weeks, it will be listed on Barnes & Noble and other retail book sellers. This book is not a collection of 911 war stories. ...

Exciting news: new dispatching book

Posted By Diana Sprain 09-20-2015 09:53
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I am proud to announce that my book, What is your emergency? The history of Public Safety Dispatching in America will be available in print next month. It has taken me a lifetime to write this history of our profession. Advanced copies have been sent to a few selected reviewers. The book covers ...

Caron City (NV) Sheriff Carl Howell's funeral service

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-21-2015 01:35
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

http://www.dianasprain.net/2015/08/end-of-watch-final-call-for-carson-city.html#more On Thursday, August 20th, I attended a department funeral service foe slain Carson City Sheriff Carl Howell. Click on the link above to read about it.

Unsafe to leave work.

Posted By Diana Sprain 07-21-2015 17:29
Found In Community: Telecommunicators: On the front line Blogs

July has been a crazy month in Reno (NV). A series of thunderstorms has moved through our area causing heavy rain and floods. On occasion, during the winter, the snowfall can become vey heavy. What do you do when you can't leave due to bad weather? When an exceptionally strong front moved through ...

Dispatching on slow shifts

Posted By Diana Sprain 02-16-2015 17:56
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

It's President's Day and dispatch is on duty. We love holidays because of the automatic overtime. This particular remembrance is usually quiet for us. Other than essential personnel, no one works. Our department the field personnel adjust their time so they don't work OT. What does that mean for ...

You've Been a Disaptcher too long if...

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-30-2014 23:46
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

You’ve read the ‘You know when you’re a (insert job title)’ for cops, firefighters, and medics. So, what about dispatchers? In honor of my brothers & sisters behind the radio & phones, here is my attempt. Feel free to chime in with your own and share with your co-workers. You know you’ve ...

Thank you for your unkind comments - can I hang up now?

Posted By Diana Sprain 07-24-2014 18:59
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

The other day I answered one of the phone lines and wish I hadn't. A female caller proceeded to verbally attack me for our agency's response to her request. She felt the need to scream, cuss, and tell me how incompetent I (and the agency) was. I was finally able to thank her and disconnect the line. ...

Keeping afloat

Posted By Diana Sprain 04-13-2014 14:00
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Today is my first shift back to work after losing my beloved companion, Moshuh. Now, I know I shouldn't compare the loss of a dog to a person, but it's still tough. Moshuh was 13 1/2 when he took his last breath on Friday, April 11th. He joined our family on September, 2000. He was my shadow, ever underfoot ...

Do you ever feel like a cheerleader?

Posted By Diana Sprain 02-21-2014 01:29
Found In Community: Telecommunicators: On the front line Blogs

Do you ever feel like a cheerleader at work? Cheerleaders are upbeat people, motivators, encouraging others to do their best. There are days when I when all I want to do is sit down and be left alone but that doesn't work out. I end up playing a role of counselor, friend, sibling, or mentor. We all need ...

It's almost done - Dispatching book - Beta Readers wanted

Posted By Diana Sprain 01-07-2014 11:49
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

It's been two years and the book on the history of dispatching is just about done. Other than a few tweeks here and there, the main read is finished. It took longer than I thought to write, but most of the time was spent in the research phase. The actual writing part seemed to come easy. Now, the ...

Listening to Tapes of 9-1-1 Calls - Should you check the calls out?

Posted By Diana Sprain 12-10-2013 10:16
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I was going through one of the dispatch boards I belong to yesterday and one of the posted topics was a question about the recently released recordings from the Sandy Hook shooting. The moderator asked if any of us planned on listening to the tapes. The majority of those responding said 'No." A few said ...

Have you ever had one of those weeks?

Posted By Diana Sprain 10-17-2013 00:54
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

We all have busy periods at work. Whether that surge of craziness takes place on days, swings, or graves all depends upon the agency and in my case, the season. Dispatchers are masters of the multi-tasking environment and it takes a lot to get us rattled. But we're human and stress can build up. ...

The top ten reasons why I'm still a dispatcher

Posted By Diana Sprain 09-08-2013 22:47
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

You’ve worked as a Public Safety Telecommunicator for over five years. Congratulations, you have now beaten the odds and made it past the average time a dispatcher stays in the profession. Chances are, you’ve hit a few bumps along the way but you picked yourself up and muddled through the storm. ...

Public Safety Telecommunicator - Investigator : a new position?

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-12-2013 10:10
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Public Safety Telecommunicator -Investigator. PST-I. Has a strange sound when you say it out loud at first, but think a little bit. Is it really that far fetched? How can I even propose such a radical job? Dispatchers answer phones and, well, dispatch units. They're not investigators...or aren't ...

Speakng your mind: productive feedback

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-07-2013 22:44
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I suffer from a common dispatcher ailment: migraine headaches, and in my case I also have frequent tension and stress headaches as well, I can't sleep. On top of that, my mind tends to go a mile a minute with a thousand thoughts. So, last night when I was up and down all with one of my bad ones, I tried ...

The hailing frequencies are open

Posted By Diana Sprain 06-04-2013 23:48
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

That heading caught you eye, didn't it? Stay-tuned. You'll have to read on (kinda-like those teasers on the morning talk shows). Before social media hit the internet, before DVDs, we had CDs, cassettes, and video camcorders. A few brave souls thought it would be cool to make recordings of their ...

Take a number and get in line - summer is here and it's jail time

Posted By Diana Sprain 05-14-2013 01:45
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Last night I didn't get off at my normal time. Just how long did I end up staying over? Only 2 hours and 45 minutes. Now, in the long scheme of life, that's not really that much. In the past, at other agencies, I worked double shifts (16 hours) or stayed past my normal 8 hours for a half shift to work ...

Viewing the world with fresh eyes: CTO mode again

Posted By Diana Sprain 05-07-2013 20:37
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I thought I was done training. I joined my current agency with the intention of taking it 'easy' and putting in the time until I hit my retirement age. Think again, Di. I have been assigned to train our newest dispatch hire. Part of the preparation work included reviewing the training material ...

Everyone Went Home

Posted By Diana Sprain 03-28-2013 12:17
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Some of our field personnel carry devices called "Spots", which gives off a signal via a satellite to designated destinations of a gps location. Anyone can purchase a Spot. The devices' gps buttons come with messages: i'm okay, I need non-emergency help, and I need emergency help. This simple system ...

The Star of Life - a little bit of history

Posted By Diana Sprain 03-20-2013 01:11
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Do you recognize this symbol? Chances are you have seen it on an ambulance, a med-flight helicopter, perhaps on one of your local fire units or volunteer search and rescue vehicles. It stands out, especially at night due to the reflective white background. Most of the Emergency Medical Personnel have ...

A duty to Serve - in 30 minutes or less

Posted By Diana Sprain 02-20-2013 01:18
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I've lost count of how many times I've been told by callers to 'send help fast' or 'been asked 'how long will it take before they arrive?'. When a reporting party (RP) asks me if a warden will do a particular action, I am honest. I don't know. Unless I'm just been told by Warden Smith he's going to ...

No more death by disco

Posted By Diana Sprain 01-21-2013 22:22
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Remember the last time you took a class? What was the course about? Who was the instructor(s)? Can you recall any of the key points? Did you attend the training in a traditional classroom, in your agency, on-line, at a seminar, or, via a teleconference? Was the material mandatory training by your agency, ...

New Year's Resolutions: PC verses reality

Posted By Diana Sprain 01-07-2013 01:57
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

We're still here - the end of the world didn't happen. Darn, good thing I bought refundable tickets on that Russian Space Shuttle to the International Space Station. My American Express points balance went waaay up last month. Do those points disappear if the tickets are returned? Everyone likes to ...

Legitimate or not: using the information highway for reference

Posted By Diana Sprain 12-01-2012 18:36
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Want to know the latest stats on 911 calls or which state has mandatory training for it's telecommunicators? have no fear, the information is just a click away. The Internet is a treasure chest of data bases from analog to Zetron. the biggest obstacle is determining the reliability of the information. ...

You're mine now: Field personnel and sit-alongs

Posted By Diana Sprain 11-21-2012 19:08
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

There are a couple of ways to foster better understanding between field units and Public Safety Telecommunicators (or dispatcher for the sake of this blog - it's easier to type): combined training, ride-alongs, off-duty social gatherings, and sit-alongs. As with ride-alongs, sit-alongs provide the best ...

How are you feeling? Dispatcher Stress

Posted By Diana Sprain 11-13-2012 18:10
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Stress: a constraining force or influence: as a physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. When we are faced with an acute threat, nature designed our bodies to react with the ‘fight or flight’ response. This physical ...

To be a Supervisor, or not to be: what was I thinking?

Posted By Diana Sprain 10-21-2012 11:56
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

I checked my email when I came back to work yesterday and one of my co-workers sent an email letting me know when the supervisor interviews would most likely be held. I already knew my application was accepted and which ranking I held. My score was posted, a 98 out a one hundred points. Funny thing, ...

Part of the team - unity in Public Safety

Posted By Diana Sprain 09-24-2012 01:12
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

With a field background, and that of a time when the 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' way of thinking, I am not the most 'PC' of dispatchers in the comm center. Fofr example, I still refer to all field units, no matter if they are fire, ems, or law enforcement (male or female) as my guys. ...

Step Up and Be Heard

Posted By Diana Sprain 09-18-2012 00:58
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Hello to all my brother and sister Telecommunicators. Today I'm writing about my writing (sounds redundant, doesn't it?), for good reason. For those who kept up on my comments, or have been to my web blog, I'm in process of writing a book. Yeah, yeah, so are thousands of other aspiring writers. Well, ...

The Mythical Fully Staffed Communications Center

Posted By Diana Sprain 08-26-2012 21:59
Found In Contact: Diana Sprain's Blog

Somewhere in the realm of Public Safety there exists a fully staffed Communications Center. Or so I've been led to believe over the years. I can imagine two groups of co-workers debating staffing issues... "Come now," the pessimists spit out, shaking their heads as they laugh at me between answering ...

Re-Writing Murphy's Law From the Dispatch Center

Posted By Diana Sprain 05-15-2012 20:02
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Hello, This is my first, and hopefully not my last, post here. In case you didn't check out my profile, I've been in Public Safety for a long time, the majority of it as a dispatcher and some as an EMT. Take away my name and I could be any of the salt & pepper-haired veterans sitting at a console ...

Mrs. Diana Sprain

Contact Details