Now that we’ve all made it almost halfway into 2010, I can officially say that I have managed PSAPs in five different decades and two different centuries. A lot of calendars and a lot of technology have changed in that time, but one thing hasn’t - people. As I read through the posts on APCO PSconnect I am struck by the fact that many of these same issues were around when I started in public safety back in 1970, and will probably still be around in another 40 years. Take the discussion about non-work related activities at the console, for example. It’s been there for as long as I remember. The focus has shifted from word search books and cross-stitching to personal electronic devices. But the driver in all of this remains the same. A recent thread seeking help on break room sanitation was started by an assistant police chief. My immediate thought was, “Buddy, you carry a gun. You’ve already got a motivational tool that many of us don’t.” Again, there were kitchen issues back in the seventies, but at least there weren’t any microwave ovens growing baked on food formations that rival the Rockies for their height and majesty. Maybe we’re testing for the wrong things? Maybe we need an appliance photo sheet that says “circle which one is clean and cross out the one that is dirty?” Maybe instead of typing and hearing we should pay more attention to vision, because in my experience I have learned that the color spectrum ranging between coffee and Coke is invisible to the average telecommunicator – especially if they have just spilled it on the floor. If nothing else, 9-1-1 is certainly a calorie centric culture and we all have the food stains to prove it. As we deal with these concerns, I refer back to the title of this blog and remind you that we are not alone. The responses to these and other original posts came from around the country from centers large and small. And, if you step away from the problems for a second, you’ll find that these crises are not limited just to public safety. Friends of mine in various occupations have shared their war stories of refrigerator science experiments and work deadlines missed because someone was tending to their cyber farm. So, until technology hands us a robot that is smarter than its human counterpart, we are “stuck” with managing people. Because of this, over time, you will deal with many more “personal” issues than “personnel” issues. Vent. Grin and bear it. Then take the last cookie back to your office and eat it. Managers and supervisors need our strength, too. And you’ll be helping to keep the console clean.