By Stacy Cotter

I can tell you, speaking from experience, loss hurts. We all know that being a 9-1-1 dispatcher/telecommunicator isn’t your average job. With the ups and downs, the good and bad calls, we all want to throw in the towel at times. The unfortunate ending is that some toss that towel in before we have a chance to get someone else in their chair. Are they truly leaving because the job is too much for them?

Why People Leave
Here are some common reasons why your staff is leaving.

Money—it’s an evil necessity. Most of us would love to be paid what we’re worth (or what we think we’re worth). Most centers can’t raise salaries, and some may not want to. It’s a fickle business especially when the ultimate decision makers may not know the true inner workings of the job.

Workload—when call volumes rise and staff numbers don’t, that poses a problem. I’ll be the first to admit that I love being busy on a night shift, but not to the point where I can’t keep up with the calls/incidents. When responder safety is in jeopardy because I can’t get to the radio in time, something’s gotta give.

The public and field personnel—I lump them in the same category because they can rub you the wrong way, every day. We all have our favorite ones to hate. How about the frequent flyer medical patient who just wants attention. Or the field unit who has nothing better to do than hear themselves on the radio.

Retaining the Staff You Have
If you happen to be in the same boat that I am, then you know that keeping your remaining staff can be as difficult as finding someone new. We need to remind the naysayers that this isn’t a job where you can hire someone off the street, and POOF!, they’re certified. This isn’t as easy as flipping hamburgers, no offense. This is one of the most stressful jobs anyone could have. Between stress and lack of staff, the dispatchers you have left are being hampered with additional burdens they may not be able to handle.

How do we keep the staff we have, you ask? There are some different ways to motivate your remaining staff and keep them happy.

Let them be more involved in the hiring process. Let’s face it, they are the ones who have to work with the newly hired staff, so why not let them have a say? One option is to have a committee, including active dispatchers, sit in on the interview process.

Most centers have an optional or even mandatory observation period for all candidates. This is two-fold. You have the candidate watching what the job entails, and you have your staff taking notes on the possible new hire. I have found that there are applicants who want this job up until they actually know what the job is. It may look easy on paper, but the actual job scares the heck out of them.

Additional training for your remaining staff may be very beneficial. Maybe you even have the perfect candidate to become a CTO. Now would be the time to send them to training or conduct in-house training.

Stress management courses are another way to help your staff out. It may sound silly to some, but an extra 10 minutes a day doing different anti-stress exercises could be an inexpensive way to keep your people.

Find the Right Person, But Fast
The job market isn’t like it used to be. You may have an assortment of applications from people of all walks of life. With the recent recession and some companies downsizing, the possible candidates can range from very technical education to very little. If you’re looking for maturity, look long and hard. Stamina should be a consideration. Can your new hire handle shift work or working nights?

The ever-daunting open shift is another reason to get someone in and trained as soon as you can. If you’re short on staff, this could lead to overtime, and a lot of it. How will your center handle this? It may not be in the budget, but overtime is going to occur. If you don’t have enough part-time staff to cover the slack, who does it fall to?

One way of combating fatigue and burnout with your staff is a lottery system. Randomly select someone to cover the shift. Their name is removed until everyone has gone through once and then start over. Give everyone one option to swap (just in case). That makes them feel a little better, but it’s their responsibility to get the coverage needed.

What other incentives can you give your employees? Is extra vacation or personal time an option? Does your center accrue comp time? These could work in your favor until the trainee is done. What about management stepping in? For most centers that are not represented by unions, senior staff can bear some of the burden. I myself have worked many overtime hours so the regular staff could have time off.

It all boils down to keeping your remaining staff happy while you bust your hump getting someone trained. This is a vicious cycle for my center, and I have a feeling that it may repeat itself sooner rather than later. Just remember that you’re not alone. PSConnect.org is a great place to turn. You may be able to connect with someone who’s in your exact situation.

About the Author
Stacy Cotter is the quality assurance/training supervisor for Bradford County Emergency Services in Towanda, Pa. Contact her via e-mail at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in June 2012  Public Safety Communications, the official magazine of APCO International.