California Emergency Dispatcher Association Newsletter

Getting to Know Your Board…

Training Director,
Priscilla Gomez

I am proud to say that I work for the Sacramento Police Department. I am quickly approaching my 20 year anniversary as a dispatcher (Aug 20, 2010). I honestly cannot believe I have been on this roller coaster ride for 20 years.  As much as I complain about my long 4 day work weeks, there is no way to express how fast the past 20 years have gone by.  I still remember my very first day in our Dispatch Academy. There were 3 huge binders sitting in front of me and we were told that we would be expected to know everything in there. I wanted to walk out! And so, 20 years later, it's true. I do know everything in those binders...ok, well maybe not everything, but 99% of it!!!!

During my last 20 years I have tried to get involved in various aspects of the job to keep it fresh and interesting. I saw how the veteran dispatchers (names not mentioned as to protect the guilty) were very bitter, cranky, hated their jobs, and were rude to new people. I vowed never to be that way. I think it paid off a little too well, recently I was voted “Most Approachable" at work!

I can’t remember everything that I have been involved in over the years but let me walk down memory lane for a bit : Instructor at our Dispatch Academy , Communications Training Officer, Team Leader for 2 Dispatch Academies, Tactical Dispatcher, Supervisor, Tactical Dispatch Coordinator, worked the Olympic Trials Command Post (x2), worked the USDA Conference Command Post, served on the Dispatcher Awards Banquet Committee for many years, represented the Comm. center at Community Meetings, worked the booth at job fairs, helped create CTDA -CA Tactical Dispatcher Assoc, served as CTDA Annual Conference Registration Coordinator, team instructed Tactical Dispatch in Texas, helped coordinate the response to Oakland PD last year when 4 of their officers were shot and killed, in charge of portable radio equipment for the dept, took part in the creating of CAL-EDA and currently serve as Training Director.

Healthy Eating Recipe

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 1 chicken bouillon cube (dissolved in 1 cup water)
• 1 ½ cup pineapple juice
• 3 Tbl brown sugar
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 Tbl low sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbl cornstarch
(dissolved in ¼ cup water)
• 1 8 oz. can pineapple
• ½ cup each onion, carrots, celery
• 3 chicken breasts
sliced into bite sized pieces

In a saucepan, mix the boullion, pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and cornstarch until sauce begins to thicken. Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces and place in a baking dish – add chicken and pineapple. Pour sauce over vegetables and chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Serve over rice or enjoy alone!

Making the Media Work for You!

by Traci Fitzsimmons

When you tell someone you've just met about your career in Emergency Dispatch, how many of you have been treated to that persons own version of  a "bad call" or questions about the last negative media offering?

When you hear about 9-1-1 in the News, what is it you usually hear?

• Is it about the everyday emergency calls that the dedicated and well trained professionals handle successfully on a regular basis?

• Is it news about organizations like our own CAL-EDA that are trying to make our profession better for dispatchers as well as for the citizens we serve?

• Is it about the on-going training and work we do to insure our furthered education?  Is it about the support tendered to our peers in times of tragedy?

Besides a few exceptions, situations like the Oakland PD response that was actually covered by the media, the incidents that garner national attention seem to be mostly negative in nature. The image this leaves the public with is understandably less than favorable.

What can we do about this?