Disclaimer:
This web site in no way reflects the views of anyone at the Stevens County Sheriff's Office. This is my Personal Web Page and these are just my thoughts and personal opinions.
Hello, my name is Mina Jayne, better known as QT on-line.
Here's the Story of my Life as a Dispatcher.
Please read the entire page.
My career as a Dispatcher started in January of 1971 when my ex-husband, was elected Sheriff. I was told I had to Dispatch during the lunch hour while his Secretary/Office Deputy/Dispatcher went to lunch. At the time we only had the Sheriff, Undersheriff, a Juvenile Officer, an Office Deputy, and 3 Dispatchers, at the Sheriff's Office. While the Police Department had six Officers, including the Chief. So with no training I was put in front of the radio for an hour each day during the week. Oh, I should explain too, that when the Courthouse was open the Office Deputy Dispatched from there, but when it wasn't open the Dispatchers where at the Jail, which was also where I lived. Another of my duties was to cook for the Prisoners. Being very young and believing that any job worth doing, is worth doing well, I would get up each morning at 5 and fix a big breakfast for the prisoners. Well, after a couple of weeks of doing that and finding out they were to lazy too get up and eat it, I quickly changed the menu to either hot or cold cereal, toast and coffee. I also learned pretty quick that it was just easier to fix extra of whatever we were going to eat than to fix them a meal, then cook for the family. That is unless the Officers had made a raid and picked up 30 or so Illegal Aliens, then I'd go back to plan "A". We were paid a dollar a meal to feed the prisoners. I also had to do their laundry, not the personal things, just the bedding and for that I was paid 10 cents for each sheet, pillow case, towel and wash cloth and 25 cents for each blanket. Plus we had furnish the washing machine and laundry soap. One thing I decided pretty quick was that we weren't going to get rich while he was Sheriff.
The Office Deputy, Opal, wanted a couple days off, so the Sheriff decided I could fill in for her. I was scared to death because I had no clue how to actually Dispatch anything. The evening Dispatcher, Doug, quickly told me how to call the Fire Department and who to call if I needed an Ambulance. As luck would have it we had a fire that afternoon and I did what I was told, picked up the RED fire phone, told them about the fire, and pushed the fire button. As I'm repeating the location of the fire I hear this voice saying, "Lady you're using the wrong phone." I must have had a shocked look on my face because the District Judge, Bernard Brubaker, was sitting across the desk from me and asked me what was wrong. At about that same time the Evening Dispatcher came running into the Office and wanted to know if he could help. I just got up and let him take over. After it was over I explained to him what had happened and what I had done. He said he didn't see where I had done anything wrong and reported to the Fire Chief what had happened. Seems the City Manager had picked up the fire phone that was at City Hall. He was wrong, not me, that time. (Sorry but I can't say I've never made a mistake but will be the first to admit one when I do).
After a few months of Dispatching during the lunch hour I was hooked and wanted to Dispatch more and learn more. I felt a Dispatcher played a very important part in Law Enforcement and that maybe I could be of help to the community. When the Department came up short handed I asked for a job. The Sheriff said I would have to ask the Chief as he couldn't just hire me since we were married and whatever he said was alright with him. The Chief said okay but just until they find another male Dispatcher, as they didn't like hiring females because of the drunk or dangerous prisoners that were brought in at times. So began my Dispatching career of sorts. I was paid as a part time Dispatcher for several months even with working 7 days a week (still short handed) until the Chief finally agreed to put me on as a full time employee. I worked straight evening shifts during the week and 12 hour weekends. I learned to Dispatch by listening to the Kansas and Oklahoma Highway Patrol Dispatchers on the radio while I was working. They were (and still are) always professional and even toned when they Dispatched. If I did need help, they were just a phone call away and no matter how small the problem, they would always help.
I think one of the hardest calls I ever made while Dispatching was the day I had called the Chief of Police out to assist the Office on Duty in a chase. It involved a motorcycle driven by a teenager that they had been trying to catch for some time. After several minutes and several radio calls, things got pretty quiet. All of a sudden a strange voice came over the frequency saying, "I think this Officer needs help!" I asked him where he was and after he told me, I sent backup and the ambulance. The Chief had had a massive heart attack. I guess after it was all over I just felt like I had let him down. I wasn't there when he needed me the most. I say this because he was always saying that the Dispatchers were his life line. He was the one Officer I've worked with over the years, that felt the part a Dispatcher does is important. Most just think we're there to answer the phones and do what they tell us to do, kind of like each one's private secretary, I guess.
Over the years there have been many changes in our Office and all for the better. First would have to be the size of the Department, though still very small, there are Officers on duty or at least on call 24 hours a day now. Then the Ambulance Service, which back when I started was three guys we'd have to call on the phone or one of the Deputies would go to the Fire Station and take the Stationwagon they had made into the Ambulance to the scene. Now we have a very dedicated group of trained people who are on standby 24 hours a day and are just a page away. Their response time is very quick. And we now have 3 Ambulances in the County instead of just one. And last, not because it's the least important is Communications. The improvement there is unbelievable. In 1999 the KBI (Kansas Bureau of Investigation) issued new State computers. When everything is working it will be awesome. I don't know how to explain it other than to say any information we need from the Criminal Justice system is just a mouse click away. Some of the system is still not operational but the parts that are work great. I think I am most impressed with the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) part, forms on the screen that just take minutes to complete and the response time is usually only seconds not a minute or two. This to me, is especially important for the Officers Safety. There's still some things in Communications that could be improved (Like better desk chairs!! lol lol) but we'd taken a big step forward in the last couple years.
As a Dispatcher I believe we are important. Maybe we don't face the life and death situations the Officers, Firemen, and EMS people do on each call but we are their life line. So a special note from me to them. We have our jobs the same way you all do, and do them the best we can. Think about it, keeping in mind this is a small Department. In our Office we have 5 Sheriff's Office lines, 1 Police Department line, 1 Fire Department line and 3 Emergency 911 lines. Plus we answer the radio for the Sheriff's Office, Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS. When there's a major accident or crime we get a little busy as there's usually just one of us to take care of everything: the radio traffic, the incoming and out going phone calls, the computer traffic, as well as making notes to put on the Log Sheets, and the people who walk in for help. When the Jailers aren't on duty, we also have the Prisoners to listen for and
watch as well. So please, have a little patience with us we do the best we can.
To the officers I'd like to add, I hope you understand that I for one anyway, feel responsible for you when you are working the same shift I am. You'll never know how I feel when I try to reach you on the radio and get no reply. Or, when I find out you were out on a traffic stop but didn't call in the tag number and where you were. Or, that you had gotten out of the car to talk to someone without calling in. Take a minute to read my Memorial Page and see the number of Officers just on that page that were killed while making a traffic stop. Think a little about the Dispatcher and what she or he would go through, what they would live with, if anything should happened to you while you are on duty. I'll make a deal with you, try a little better to remember what I have to do and I'll try a little better to answer you faster. I guess when God made Dispatchers he should have given us a dozen of everything. But we all have just one heart, and mine would break if anything should happen to you. Take care my friend and stay safe.
We all have a job to do when we are on duty. I guess what I could say here is, you do your job and I'll do mine, but that's not what I want to say." I want you the Officer, Fireman, EMT, to be a little more understanding. Most of the time when I’m on duty, it’s just me there. I do the best I can to take care of everything as everyone’s safety is important. I get really frustrated when one or all of you get upset at me because I didn’t do something fast enough for you. Maybe you don’t say it, but the tone of your voice does. Or the cutting remarks you make in the breakroom. No one is perfect and I’ve never claimed to be. I’m one person that may be answering calls for several, so please be patient, be a little understanding. Dispatchers, like anyone else, don’t go home at the end of the day and forget what happened. We think about what we could have done better or faster to please everyone. We dream about what happened and sometimes those dreams turn in to nightmares. Most of all, don’t judge me for not spelling right or for not having a neat log sheet. Most of the time you don’t have any idea what’s happening on my side of the radio as I don’t on your side. Just know that I do care and I feel responsible for your well being when we are working together. Also, please remember, I have a lot of respect for the job that you do. Just show me a little respect too.
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