Recently, a customer’s procurement team asked why the dispatchers required 911 dispatch console work stations - versus standard desks. This is a great question and something public agencies should ask when allocating public funds as it is not always easy to balance limited funding across multiple agencies. Being informed about why certain tools are right for the job is one way organizations demonstrate good stewardship of the funds, and respect for the teams and communities they serve.
Why do you need "special" 911 dispatch console desks?
This question comes up periodically and especially when the procurement team is not familiar with the unique working needs of public safety answering points. Since this is not the first time we’ve been asked, in this two-part series we’ll share what we have come to value as the preferred, industry solutions for 24/7 desk-bound, shift workers.
If your purchasing team inquires, this will help you answer the question: Why should we invest in "special" dispatch furniture?
value extends beyond function
When selecting consoles for 911 dispatch, campus police, and emergency management teams, it is critical to
- Fully understand the functional requirements of the three primary user groups – operators, IT, and facilities.
- Be aware of the long-reaching value and ROI of a specialized furniture purchase. The value extends beyond basic function and durability:
More efficient call-response times
Increased customer satisfaction
Healthier field and comm-center team dynamics
Faster call recovery and reduced operator stress
Reduction in position down-time
Fewer call-outs
Fewer L&I claims
Reduced churn
Great console design focuses on eliminating user pain-points
For more than 35+ years, Watson has been researching and creating furniture specifically for mission-critical monitoring teams. We have developed dispatch consoles that address safety concerns and user pain points as identified by operators, IT technicians and facilities managers. Not only do we understand the funcitonal requirments of the job, we understand the unintended consequences of the job - increased sick-days, dissatisfaction, burn-out, turnover.
- Compassion fatigue and 911
- Console trends put users first, boost employee satisfaction
- Northwestern University emergency dipsatch profile
We have seen how the right furniture can help.
Operator pain-points impact the agency's staffing and budget
The table, below, summarizes the topmost needs for the first of three unique stakeholder groups.
Role: OPERATOR
Sectors: 911 Dispatcher, Campus Police Dispatch, Emergency Management Monitoring
Work Requirements Summary: Operators are tethered to their work stations, typically for 8-10 hour shifts. This means that effective service requires immediate availability. Efficient service relies on acute focus, maintaining a calm and clear demeanor, seamlessly transitioning from one critical task to another. Operators use multiple technologies and equipment to communicate with field teams. Some of this equipment must be located within the operator’s primary reach zone, where they can use it within view of their monitors.
PAIN POINT |
IMPACT
|
IMPACT
|
dispatch CONSOLE
|
STANDARD DESK SOLUTION |
Back strain |
Becomes a distraction, requires medical attention, can lead to absenteeism |
Creates scheduling conflicts, short-staffed, L&I claims |
Height-adjustable surfaces can be fine-tuned to the operator’s body proportion, accommodates movement throughout the day contributing to core muscular-skeletal health. |
Some commercial desks provide height-adjustment, check for range |
Carpal tunnel |
Becomes a distraction, requires medical attention, can lead to absenteeism |
Creates scheduling conflicts, short-staffed, L&I claims |
Height-adjustable surface, in conjunction with proper seating, helps operators achieve healthy elbow to wrist angles. |
Some commercial desks provide height-adjustment, check for range |
Joint and muscle aches from long hours at a desk |
Becomes a distraction, requires medical attention, can lead to absenteeism |
Creates scheduling conflicts, short-staffed, burdens other team members with longer-than-normal shifts |
Height-adjustable surface provides opportunity to stand and stretch while actively monitoring. |
Some commercial desks provide height-adjustment, check for range |
Eye strain, headaches |
Compromises interpreting and relaying visual cues, may require medical attention/downtime |
Long-term discomforted, especially when compounded can increase dissatisfaction and contributes to churn |
Focal depth adjustment and user-controlled task and ambient lighting allows operators to adjust the environment over the course of a shift. |
None |
Stress of the job, irritability, emotional strain
|
Hard to decompress, negatively affects relationships among team members, is one of the primary reasons noted when dispatchers opt out and leave |
Creates scheduling conflicts, short-staffed, highest churn rate in the public safety sectors |
Individual environment controls promote comfort and focus. Providing for the operator’s basic comfort needs, reduces stress and distraction. Adjusting heat and air throughout the day can also help with rapid recovery after stressful calls. |
Centers can supply freestanding heaters, air flow and additional desk lights. |
Lack of focus, exhaustion |
Burn out, compassion fatigue |
Negatively affects team, creates scheduling conflicts, short-staffed, contributes to highest churn rate in the public safety sectors |
Focal depth adjustment, Individual environment controls, Height-adjustable surface Each of these feature sets allow operators to adjust position, retain or regain focus. |
None |
Personal belongings are not secure |
Lack of trust |
Negatively affects team, undermines perception of personal safety |
Personal storage stacks provide small or midsize lockable compartments within the console footprint. |
None |
Untidy stations (when shared) |
Team-member conflict, increases spread of cold and flu germs |
Negative impact on team cohesion, increased sick days/short-staffed |
Designed for shift work: When everything has its place, it is easier to maintain clutter-free work space - tech cabinets, concealed cable channels, personal and shared-tools storage. |
None |
If you are a dispatcher, you have experienced the challenges.
For those of us on the outside of the profession, it can be hard to understand the cumulative impact multiple pain-points can have. Especially because we, generally, do not endure the same level of mental/ emotional stressors over the course of our work day.
The data doesn't lie, however. The highest churn in the public safety sector, short-staffing, and training costs elevate the importance of retention strategies.
Having the right tools for the job, including a workstation that promotes safety, focus and comfort is an important piece of the puzzle.
What about the IT Tech and Facility Manager?
In part two we'll cover pain points and solutions for the IT and Facilities Manager. They have markedly different concerns. You'll find the impact to the agency can be in over-time pay, service down-time, accessibility, compliance and safety issues.
Share this free e-guide with your purchasing team. It provides guidance about asking questions and discovering features that will positivley impact the operator and agency.
and automatically receive part two in the series.
In the meantime, check out these blogs. You'll discover more information about the stress impact on dispatchers and ways to recover and make your comm center a more peaceful place to work.
