Within the Trenches

Within the Trenches is back! Episode 107 is sponsored by INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In this episode I sat down with my brother Fernando to tell some personal stories that include a possible UFO sighting and a 9-1-1 tape of those sightings. A shoutout goes to OpenMinds - UFO News and Investigations for the short story and the audio. Also the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch decals are available for purchase so get yours while you can! Another shoutout goes to Heather of Absolute Photography in Holland, MI for assisting with the first few orders of vinyl decals. You do amazing work and if anyone is looking for vinyl Heather is your top choice! This episode is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Heather - Absolute Photography - Web | Facebook Episode topics - Santa came early House break-in UFO sighting

Welcome to episode 106 of Within the Trenches! This episode is sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital, a leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In this episode I sat down with the ladies of Vigo County 9-1-1 Indiana and it was epic! Joining me was dispatchers, Chelsey, Kelsie, Heather and Hanna along with their director Rob "Big Mac" McMullen. There are so many different topics on here that I can't even begin to talk about it. You have to listen to it to understand. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share it up! As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics - Robbing custard "Your Mom" "Are you a psychic?" And more!

Recording live from the 2016 Indiana NENA/APCO Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana it's episode 105 of Within the Trenches, sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. This episode is entitled "Open Mic". My guest list consists of show regular Rob, Nicole, Assistant Director of Montgomery County, Lindsey, dispatcher with Fulton County and the audience/attendees of the conference. This was the first time I have ever done a podcast with a live audience and it turned out amazing! We tell all kinds of funny stories and some of them may make you blush. There is a warning in the beginning so listen and remember, you have been warned. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or if you want to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - Bottle cap story "Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?" "I am the drunk driver" "Something is stuck" And many more!

Recording live from the 2016 Indiana NENA/APCO Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana it's episode 104 of Within the Trenches, sponsored by Indiana NENA and INdigital - A leader in Next-Gen Core Services. In this episode, show regular, Rob "Big Mac" McMullen joined me to talk about anything and everything we could think of. I can't even begin to mention what all we talked about but shout outs go to Leah of Grand Traverse, Smart911, the graphic design talents of Rizzo and the 911 Wellness Foundation. This is a must listen so check it out, share and share again. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - Rob is a celebrity Rob loves the media New Hampshire or bust And more...

Welcome to Within the Trenches and this is episode 103. This episode is sponsored by INdigital - A leader in Next Gen Core Services. Last week for episode 102 I spoke with Lloyd out of Canada and he shared his 911 story and touched on mental health and dispatch wellness as well as how he started Dispatch Monkey. If you missed that episode please make sure to go and listen and share. The Sons/Daughters of Dispatch decals are currently up for a second round and available for only 2 weeks (end date April 2nd2016). They are 5X5 decals at $9.99 + shipping. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are also t-shirts of the logo made by Threadsy Tee that will be going up for sale as well so keep an eye out for them. As for the scholarship it includes, Complementary registration to the conference & expo Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice A $500 travel stipend Official Within the Trenches t-shirt To register, make sure to go to thejabberlog.com/scholarship/scholarship.php Today’s guest is Daphanie, Communications Training Coordinator and Shift Supervisor, out of Martin County Fire/Rescue in Florida. In this episode Daphanie shared her 911 dispatch story as well as some calls that have impacted her life. This is a must listen so please check this out, share and share again. Below you will find links to Daphanie’s articles with IAED, links to IAED and Threadsy Tee. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Contact Daphanie - firequeenmcfrATyahooDOTcom Daphanie's Articles - Article 1 | Article 2 IAED - www.emergencydispatch.org | www.iaedjournal.org Threadsy Tee - Web | Facebook | Twitter Episode topics – Daphanie’s 911 Story 911 calls that made an impact Dispatch policies And more

Welcome to episode 102 of the Within the Trenches Podcast, a podcast based on the experience of being a 911 dispatcher. The show is going strong and while stories are the main focus of the podcast, 911 companies and organizations are coming on the show to talk about what they are doing. The way I look at it is that if I can supply dispatchers with some free training through the podcast, why not? On episode 101 I spoke with Eddie of St. Louis County, Missouri and he shared his 911 story as well as what it was like for him in the dispatch center during the Ferguson riots. If you missed that episode, please make sure to go and listen and share. The Sons/Daughters of Dispatch decals are currently up for a second round and available for only 2 weeks (end date April 2nd 2016). They are 5X5 decal’s at $9.99 + shipping. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are also t-shirts of the logo made by Threadsy Tee that will be going up for sale as well so keep an eye out for them. As for the scholarship it includes, Complementary registration to the conference & expo Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice A $500 travel stipend Official Within the Trenches t-shirt To register, make sure to go to thejabberlog.com/scholarship/scholarship.php Today’s guest is known throughout social media and the blogosphere as Dispatch Monkey but today we find out who the man is behind the monkey…or curtain. This person is a police dispatcher working for an agency in western Canada and his given name is Lloyd. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out, share, check out Dispatch Monkey's links below and share! As always if you have any questions or you want to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Visit Dispatch Monkey – Web | Facebook | Twitter Episode topics - Lloyd's dispatch story 911 calls The beginning of Dispatch Monkey And more

Welcome to episode 101 of the Within the Trenches Podcast. Last week I posted the 100th episode of the podcast and in that episode I took a trip back in time to how everything started out and what’s to come. I played clips from episodes 1, 6 and 12 and I hope you enjoyed them because they were so much fun to record. Since that episode I have received many emails for the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch vinyl decals. Because so many people wanted a second round I opened up the vault and they are available once again. They will only be available for 2 weeks so get them while you can. They are 5X5 decals at $9.99 + shipping and can be found here. A portion of the money made goes to fund a scholarship for the 2016 National NENA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Scholarship includes: Complementary registration to the conference & expo Complementary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of your choice A $500 travel stipend Official Within the Trenches t-shirt To apply for the scholarship make sure to go to thejabberlog.com/scholarship/scholarship.php On today’s episode I got to speak to dispatch trainer Eddie from St. Louis County, Missouri. Eddie shared his 911 dispatch story along with what it was like for him when he was working in dispatch during the heated situation that was the Ferguson riots. I must preface this by saying that no specific incidents are talked about because of open/pending court cases, but it focuses more on Eddie's stress level during that time. Eddie attended many hours worth of stress management but nothing could prepare him for what he dealt with. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show please send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - Eddie's 911 dispatch story Stress Management Eddie's stress level during the Ferguson riots Adele inspired apology from Mlive Visit Dispatch Monkey – Web | Facebook | Twitter

Episode 100! Man oh man I can’t believe it. It’s been one crazy ride and I wouldn’t change a thing. Welcome to Within the Trenches, a podcast based on the experience of being a 911 dispatcher. I have interviewed dispatchers from all over the United States including Ireland, Canada and Australia. I have also interviewed 911 leaders, directors and 911 pro companies and organizations such as the 911 Wellness Foundation, Dispatch Magazine Online, NENA, APCO, TERT, EENA, INdigital, Success Communications, Agency360, 911Trainer.com, Avaya, The Denise Amber Lee Foundation, Xybix, Smart911, The Cool Kids of 911 and more! I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to interview and meet so many amazing people. It started as a school project and blew up from there. In this episode I go back and reflect on the beginning of my journey. I play clips from episodes 1, 6 and 12 and share all kinds of stories. I hope you enjoy them and I will post links to those episodes below. Don’t forget that you have until April 15th 2016 to apply for the Within the Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship. This is a great opportunity for you to attend a national conference so don’t miss out. Thank you to everyone who believed in me and this project. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I see this show doing so many things in the future so stay tuned. Here’s to 100 more episodes and beyond. Cheers! Episode topics – The beginning of Within the Trenches Episode 1 - Web Episode 6 - Web Episode 12 - Web I’m Abscessed with You – Web Visit Dispatch Monkey – Web | Facebook | Twitter Behind the Mic: Stories from the Trenches

Welcome to episode 99 of Within the Trenches. I have come a long way and it is hard to believe that my next episode is going to be number 100. I am planning something great for this landmark episode so stay tuned! In this episode I did a recap of episode 98 that included some of my admins. I also gave an overview of a couple of videos we watched and I made sure to give a shout out to Heather of Absolute Photography out of Holland, MI. She made a vinyl decal out of my Sons of Dispatch – NINE ONE ONE Original logo and it looks amazing! I asked the fans if they would be interested in one and there was a large response so I will be making them available in the next few days for purchase. The decals will be for both the Sons and Daughters logo and will cost $9.99 a piece. Now I know it may seem like a lot but a portion of the proceeds will go to a scholarship that I am working on to send one dispatcher to the 2016 National NENA conference in Indy. Today’s guest features Sue Pivetta of Professional Pride and 911trainer.com. She is a former dispatcher, supervisor, console trainer and vocational teacher. This episode was a lot of fun and after about 3 years of trying to schedule an episode we finally got a chance to chat. If you are passionate about training or are thinking about making a move into a training position then this is the episode for you. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Also don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShitDispatchersSay & ShitDispatchersThink on Facebook and Twitter. You can mention us on Twitter with your Say or Think hashtag and we will retweet it or you can send one to our inbox on Facebook and we will post it anonymously. Check out Sue’s links below and tell her we sent you. Cheers! Sue Pivetta – Linkedin | Twitter | YouTube 911trainer.com – Facebook | Web Episode topics – Episode 98 recap How Sue got into dispatch First night in dispatch calls Murder & Rape Shotgun to jaw call Training dispatch today And more

Welcome to episode 98 of Within the Trenches. A lot has been going on lately and I can’t make any announcements yet but as soon as I get the green light I will do so. Now along with that there are some big things coming up and I know the National NENA conference is a few months away but I can’t help but mention that the podcast will be better than ever. I’m working on a scholarship for one lucky dispatcher. The scholarship will include a full registration, travel stipend and a couple others things but complete details and open registration will not come out until early next month. If you have never been to a conference, this is your chance. A couple t-shirt campaigns are coming up as well and a portion of the proceeds will go to that scholarship so when it hits make sure to order your shirt, it’s going to an excellent cause. And in case you’re wondering the shirt campaigns will include the Sons and Daughters of Dispatch design that I posted on Facebook and Twitter. Today’s episode is going to cover a hot topic on the skewed public perception of dispatch along with how much we do and how it can affect us. We also share a couple of videos on dispatcher tasks from Facebook Page “Inside the Fire: A Page For First Responders” and “The Operator” by Bridge the Divide Media. Joining me for this episode are a few of my admins from the podcast fan page, Shae, Victoria and Kelli. This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Below you will find links to the videos mentioned in this podcast. Episode topics – Skewed public perception of dispatch Dispatch bashing Dispatch Stories Inside the Fire: A Page for First Responders – “Dispatcher Tasks” Bridge the Divide Media – “The Operator”

Welcome to episode 97 of Within the Trenches. A few days ago I received numerous tweets and Facebook messages asking if there was going to be a Halloween themed show. I thought about it and thought about it and finally decided I would do one. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do and a good friend of mine told me about some creepy and scary 9-1-1 calls she heard from a YouTube channel. I checked them out and they are pretty crazy. They reminded me of when I was in dispatch and the crazy stuff I would hear so I decided to use the tapes. I will give full credit to those who put the calls together below so make sure to check them out for other videos. I want to make sure that everyone knows that I am not making light of the emergency situations. The calls are meant to educate and show the reality of 9-1-1 dispatch. Others may have a dark sense of humor and if you do well, that usually means you have worked or know someone who has come from the chair. At the end of the episode you will get to hear about some new things going on with the show and a scholarship I want to put together for the 2016 National NENA conference. I'm currently looking for sponsors so if you want in on it please let me know. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics My haunted house B&E and Attempted B&E while I was at home with my family Within the Trenches Dispatcher Scholarship 911 Tapes Top Trending Channel on YouTube Visit them at toptrending.com- 5 of the creepiest 911 Elderly Female calls 911 to report a suspicious subject outside her home. Chimpanzee attack Intruder Weepy voice killer Mr. Nightmare YouTube Channel - 6 Shocking & Freaky 911 Calls Man living in Washington describes what sounds like Bigfoot Kid who calls 911 to report killing his mom and sister Stalker call where caller was armed

I am a firm believer that every person we meet, we meet for a reason. Whether it is good or bad, a blessing or a lesson, there is a reason. A few years ago I reached out to someone who would help shape the rest of my career. Although the good deed was small it changed everything and made a big impact on my life. When I was in the last part of my dispatch career I was working on my Masters in New Media Journalism. At this time I was writing heavily and posting all kinds of personal dispatch stories to my blog. It had become pretty popular with those in the 9-1-1 community as well as the general public. People were learning and I was loving it but I felt like something was missing, I felt like I could do more. As I was riding on the popularity of my written version of Within the Trenches I was introduced to podcasting through an assignment in school. I fell in love with it and started a public safety series doing stories with dispatch, police and EMS. From there I decided to turn my written segment into a podcast but it was going to take a little help from Kickstarter. My goal for this Kickstarter campaign was $1,500. It would pay for equipment, hosting and more. I was going strong with $606 early on but my campaign stalled and I was sure I would not make it. I had 36 hours left and I was freaking out. I was reading some 9-1-1 industry news at 9-1-1 Dispatch Magazine Online and decided I would reach out to the editor for help. I told Gary Allen that I wasn't looking for money from him. All I wanted was help getting the word out on my project. Later on that day I received a response from him saying that he loved the idea of a dispatch podcast and telling dispatch stories. He wrote up a small blurb on what I was doing and also reached out to some industry partners. In 24 hours I surpassed my campaign goal. I can safely say that if it wasn't for Gary's help I probably would not have made it. On top of that I recently found out that one of the industry partners he reached out to was my now boss and founder of INdigital, a public safety solutions company. I thought my boss simply found me by the article that Gary put out but Gary reached out to him. It's awesome how things work out sometimes. Sadly, Gary recently passed away. He had 40 years of public safety background and my only regret is not having more of an opportunity to have him on the podcast to tell his complete story. I did get a chance to have him on an episode with me and it is included within this episode. We were experimenting with Google+ Hangouts Live so the audio sounds a little different but it is a good one nonetheless. Also towards the end there is about a minutes worth of music. The show doesn't end though, I was showing Gary a video and all you can hear is the music. So just in case you listen and wonder what is going on. Below you will find a link to the video version of episode 45 with Gary Allen. I hope you enjoy the episode and please share it. As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show you can email me at [email protected] Gary, I will be forever grateful to you. Your help made a huge impact on my life. I hope I am able to leave a mark on this industry the way you did. Godspeed my friend. Thanks,Ricardo

Welcome to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been almost a month since I posted the last episode but I’m back and ready to go with a long list of guests. Today’s episode will feature 911 news stories along with some tapes and a written guest blog. I’m joined today by show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen, Director of Vigo County 911 and 2nd VP of NENA. He’s joined by episode 94 guest Jordon, dispatcher with Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority and new to the admin team of the Facebook Fan Page. Get ready to laugh, learn and if you would like to read and comment on Kelli's guest blog post entitled, "I was there" please click the link below. Also, there are only a few days left on the "Dispatch Love" t-shirt campaign so get yours while you can. Once it's over that's it! This is a limited edition t-shirt that cannot be found in stores. Kelli's "I was there" guest blog "Dispatch Love" t-shirt campaign Episode topics - Recap with Jordon on episode 94 How would you dispatch that medical? (911 tape) The skunk is guilty! (911 tape) Dispatch hangup (911 tape) Kelli's "I was there" guest blog

Hello and welcome to episode 94 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver and this will be the last episode of a series of episodes that were recorded there. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Jordon and Tiffany, dispatchers with Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority out of Colorado. This was a great episode to record. We told many stories and we laughed like crazy. If you want to learn more about dispatching, the national conference and more then you need to check this one out. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - How Jordon & Tiffany got into dispatching What it was like for them Early calls State Police story And more

Hello and welcome to episode 93 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Andrew, an instructor with Public Safety Training Consultants. This is a very short and sweet episode that I hope you enjoy. I usually record a longer episode but Andrew was about to give a class at the conference. I am going to get a hold of him for a much longer episode in the future so stay tuned for that. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, you can send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - How Andrew got into dispatching What it was like for him A brief overview of the class he was teaching

Hello and welcome to episode 92 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen the newly elected 2nd VP of NENA. This was a fun episode to record and in it we talk about a presentation we gave on text for 911. The presentation went great and Rob and I are thinking of hitting more conferences to present this. This is a must listen! The intro alone is awesome so make sure to check it out and share! As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - Rob "Big Mac" Wrestling Intro 2nd VP duties Text for 911 presentation highlights

Hello and welcome to episode 91 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with show regular Rob “Big Mac” McMullen the newly elected 2nd VP of NENA, Ty Wooten, Education Director of NENA and Brian Tegtmeyer, who is an Education Advisory Board Member for NENA. This is an awesome episode! We share everything from the beginning of the conference up until that point of the conference. It's educational and entertaining. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected] Episode topics - Funny intro Conference events Preparing for NENA 2016

Hello and welcome to episode 90 of Within the Trenches. I am back from the national NENA conference that was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It was an excellent week of networking, learning, presenting and podcasting. In This episode I got the chance to sit down with Matt, Founder of Agency360 and sponsor of the show for the month of June. Matt shares his story from dispatch, to becoming a police officer and ultimately starting Agency360 to help the onboarding of new dispatchers and helping to streamline your CTO program. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss! So please listen and share! As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below. Episode topics – Matt's dispatch story The history of Agency360 Early 911 calls What Agency360 can do for you And more

Welcome back folks! This is episode 89 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I got to speak with guest regular Rob McMullen, director of Vigo County 911 out of Indiana and current North Central Region Director of NENA. We chat and listen to 9-1-1 calls including one on the late great American Dream Dusty Rhodes. We also share some information on our upcoming class at the National NENA Conference in Denver next week. It's called, "A Day In The Life of Text to 9-1-1." You don't want to miss it! If you are going to be there, make sure to look for us on Tuesday around 4 p.m. Also make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360! Their customizable web-based field training software supports the CTO program and the on boarding of new dispatchers across the country to improve consistency, access, and efficiency in documenting their training. For more click on their image below. Episode topics - 9-1-1 tapes Dusty Rhodes "If they shoot you call us back with that information" News story of female faking a kidnapping over text And more

Good afternoon and welcome back for episode 88 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Theresa, a dispatcher and trainer with Greenville City PD in Greenville South Carolina. We go back and reflect on her dispatch career from the beginning up to present time as a trainer. We also dig deep into her training style and how her CTO program through Agency360 has streamlined the training process. If you have ever wanted to be a better trainer this is the episode for you! This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or want to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected] Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below! Episode topics – Theresa’s 911 story Early 911 calls Lessons learned in training CTO program through Agency360 And more

Hello everyone! This is going to be an epic episode 87 of Within the Trenches. It has been a little while since the last episode but I’m back and ready to go. Agency360, a new sponsor for the month of June, sponsors this episode. I will be sitting down with them in the coming week to record an episode with them and talk about the awesome things they are doing for dispatchers with their training program. For today’s episode I want to go back and talk about where this all started. You will get to hear about how I started out in dispatch, my calls, my transition from dispatch to becoming an industry partner and what I am doing with the podcast. You will also listen to clips from other episodes. One deals with an officer shooting and death. It is one that you need to listen to and hopefully you can learn something from it. This is a must listen so check it out and share. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Make sure to check out our sponsor Agency360 by clicking the image below. Episode topics – How my dispatch career began The Skeleton and Frostproof PD Early Career Calls and Training Episode clips And more! Videos heard during the podcast

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This will be the last episode in a series recorded at the 2015 Indiana NENA/APCO conference and expo a few weeks ago. I had a great time there and I hope everyone who was on the show or attended my class enjoyed it too. I met a lot of new people, visited with good friends and just had an all around good time. There is never a dull moment with the crew from Indiana. In this episode I got the chance to speak with Lindsey, dispatcher with Fulton County 911 and her mom Lori, training coordinator with INdigital and former PSAP director. This episode was a lot of fun to record. It was the first time that I have ever had a mother/daughter episode and they hit one out of the park. This is a must listen so check it out and share. As always if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, you can send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics – How Lindsey started in dispatch What it was like working for her mom Lori What training was like What it was like the first night they worked together

Hello folks and welcome back to another excellent episode of Within the Trenches. This is the podcast where you will learn, laugh and understand what 911 dispatch is all about. The point of the show is to give a true experience and look into the lives of those behind the mic. They are the true first responders and the most important people you will never see. In doing this podcast I have made it my goal to help share their stories as well as some of mine. In this episode I sat down with show regular Rob McMullen, North Central Region Director of NENA as well as director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana. Joining him on this episode are Victoria and Kelli, dispatchers with Vigo County 911 and this is a must listen and share. We tell stories from dispatch, personal life and a story I have never told before from my time in dispatch. It’s one you don’t want to miss. As always you can email the show for comments, questions or if you want to be a guest on the show at [email protected]. Link to the story that Kelli mentions at the end of this episode below. Suicide call – http://www.thejabberlog.com/2011/05/10/a-moment-of-clarity/ Episode topics – Encounters with the police Gas station burrito story Victoria and the pepper spray shank And more

Good morning! The wait is finally over! I must admit that it was hard for me to hold off posting this episode until today. I wanted to post it so that all of you could enjoy this but I had to separate the episodes to make it last. So without any further ado, welcome to episode 84 – Don’t be nervous. You will get the title once you hear the episode. This episode was recorded during the 2015 Indiana APCO/NENA Conference during the week of April 15 – 17. In this episode I had the chance to speak to three lovely ladies out of Hamilton County in Indiana. Anna, Alicia and Shae were so open and honest about their love for the job that it made the conversation naturally flow. On top of that they have a sense of humor like mine so I felt like I had known them for years. This epic episode is a must listen so check it out and share it up. As always if you have any comments, questions or if you would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]. Episode topics – How each person got into dispatch What it was like when they first started Dispatch calls And more

Ahoy hoy! I’m back with episode 83 of Within the Trenches. This episode is part of a series of episodes I recorded at the 2015 Indiana NENA/APCO conference and expo. I had an excellent time there and this episode added to the fun. In this episode I finally and I mean finally got the chance to sit down with Ty Wooten, NENA Education Director who I have been trying to get on the show for almost a year now. We have been talking about it and talking about it but our schedules never matched up. Ty is joined by show regular Rob McMullen, NENA North Central Region Director and Director of Vigo county 911. This is an episode you do not want to miss. We had so much fun doing our mic check that I added it in the beginning. This episode is not only educational but it’s 18 different kinds of funny. I hope you enjoy it and please share it with everyone you know. As always you can email the show at [email protected] for questions, comments or if you want to be on the show. Make sure to check out the links below for what’s new with NENA. NENA – Web | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube NENA Education – Web | Facebook | Twitter Indiana NENA – Web Episode topics – Funny mic check intro How Ty started in 911 Ty’s first 911 call NENA education And more

Good afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. Episode 82 is part of a series of episodes that were recorded last week during the 2015 NENA/APCO conference & expo. In this episode I got to speak with Amanda and Yvonne, dispatchers with Lafayette PD and part of this years Teamwork Award recipients. Both dispatchers shared their 911 story as well as their reaction to the call that went national when a male called 911 in Indiana for his fiancé that he was speaking to over Skype in New York and she passed out. Thanks to the excellent work of Amanda, Yvonne and their partner Mark they were able to get help to the caller’s fiancé in New York. Great job and you deserve this award. Thank you for all you do! This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always if you have any questions or you would like to be a guest on the show please email us at [email protected]. Teamwork Award news story courtesy of WISH-TV Episode topics – How each dispatcher started in 911 Best and worst calls Teamwork Award

Good afternoon and welcome back! I have been M.I.A. and I apologize for that. Life and work takes over at times and I have to step back from the podcast but I’m here and I have brand new episodes coming your way. Last week I was at the Indiana NENA / APCO Conference & Expo. I was there for the show and I had the chance to speak on stage and tell my 911 story. It was an excellent time! I got to spend time with old friends, made new friends and the show was a hit. The best part of last week was that the conference fell on National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It’s the week that we honor 911 dispatchers for the awesome work they do every day. The week was great and truth be told, I did not want it to end. Thank you for everything you do in dispatch. Although you may not hear it enough, you deserve all the kudos for being great! In this episode I got to speak with Nirvana, a dispatcher with Lafayette PD, as well as Kelli and Victoria, dispatchers with Vigo County 911. This is a must listen to check it out and share it. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show send an email to [email protected]. Also check out the great video below from the Cool Kids of 9-1-1. It’s a parody of Let it go but with a dispatch twist. You will dig it! Episode topics – How each guest started in dispatch Good calls Bad calls What NPSTW means to them Cool Kids of 9-1-1 Parody Video

On February 16, 1968, the first 9-1-1 call was made. This is a very important date so today I present to you episode 80 of the podcast. I'm posting it ahead of episode 79 because I can't wait to share this story with all of you. Every event comes with stories and today’s date marks an event that started a lifetime of stories from those behind the mic. I have to say that it's crazy to think that this podcast has 80 episodes under its belt. I started this adventure telling my stories through a written segment on my blog, the Jabber Log and it eventually evolved into a podcast. What I wanted to do from the beginning was tell the stories of the unsung heroes of 911 and here I am. I love doing this and the stories are all amazing. I just want to thank the listeners for the support throughout this journey and this episode is going to be excellent. My guest today has been in public safety for some time now and his story is one that I have wanted to cover since I heard about it from my friend Tom with the Cool Kids of 911 Facebook page. His name is Steve and he is the director for Fairfax County 911 out of Virginia. His stories range from his first day in the chair to present day. Steve has many stories and I look forward to having him on again. As always if you have any questions or would like to be on the show you can send an email to [email protected] Note: There are a couple spots where there is an echo but it does not take away from the episode so enjoy. Episode topics – How Steve started out in dispatch The day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated & the DC riots Opinion on texting How much different is 911 now from when Steve started

Good morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is going to be episode 79 and I'm going a little out of order but after recording episode 80, a milestone for the show, I had to post it up right away. Steve of Fairfax County 911 out of Virginia had an excellent story and if you haven't listened to it yet, you need to. Today's episode was going to be with Misti, a dispatcher and admin for "911 Dispatchers - Did I Really Say That?" but we had to reschedule so she will be on for a future episode and I look forward to that. My guest today is a good friend of mine and has been on the show before. He is the North Central Regional Director for National NENA and the Director of Vigo county out of Indiana. In this episode we covered several silly and or ridiculous calls and shared some stories of our own. Below you will find the link to all the calls we referenced from the news affiliates. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show you can send an email to [email protected] KTUU - Ridiculous 911 calls Episode topics - Suck it call Vampire Call Seagull Call And more

Good morning and welcome to episode 78 of Within the Trenches. It has been a while since episode 77 but I am back with a long list of guests. In my last episode I revisited some of my personal dispatch stories. If you haven't listened to it you need to check it out. I will be recording more of my personal stories soon. I also mentioned that the new Indiana NENA website was up and registration is open for the 2015 conference so make sure to sign up. The website address is innena.org. Check them out, register and look for the show on their site. All the episodes recorded from last year’s conference are located there. With that said today's episode is going to be a good one. My guest today is Joanne, a dispatcher with the New Hampshire State Police and one of the admins for 911 Operator's Peer Support Page on Facebook. As always, if you would like to be a guest on the show or if you have any questions, email the show at [email protected] 911 Operator's Peer Support Page – Facebook Indiana Chapter of NENA – Web INNENA Within the Trenches Page - Web Episode topics – How Joanne started in 911 Inspiration for 911 Operator’s Peer Support Page on Facebook Calls that stick with you And more…

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Within the Trenches podcast. It has been about a month since the last episode and to keep it short, I have been all kinds of busy. Most of my time has been spent on work projects but I have also done a few side projects including logo design and web design. It has been fun because I love what I do but now that the main holidays are over I can get back to the show. With that said I have been looking back at some of my earlier blog posts and I realized that many of you are probably unaware of these posts because they are buried within my blog. The posts contain many calls I’ve taken and I have decided to turn them into episodes. Now you won’t have to search for them and read them, you can simply listen to me read over the entries and fill you in on what I was thinking at the time. I hope you enjoy this episode and as always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – An update of what I have been up to Poo Guy story Ride alongs Robotic Domestic with Spam

Welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a busy month! Since the last episode I have been training dispatchers on text FOR 911 platform textty. It has been a lot of fun though and I love what I do. On top of that I can officially say that the 911 Wellness Foundation and Within the Trenches are now strategic partners. What that means is that we are working together to reach a greater audience by utilizing each other’s outlets. I have also been talking with my co-host Whitney and we are going to plan on recording more episodes together via Skype. It has been a bit hard to do episodes together since I moved to Indiana but we are getting things planned out and I am very excited. On today’s episode I had the chance to speak with Melinda and Patti of the 9-1-1 National Public Educator Forum (NPEF). This was a great episode to record and we had a lot to talk about. The topics ranged from how NPEF started, a PSA that was recorded at their most recent conference and a GoFundMe project involving a Cell Phone Sally app for smartphones. This is a must listen episode so check it out and share! As always you can email the show at [email protected]. See below for more information on NPEF and the links mentioned on the show. Episode topics – How NPEF started How Patti/Melinda got involved w/NPEF Conference history Cell Phone Sally And more NPEF Links - 9-1-1 National Public Educator Forum - Web | Facebook Butt Dial PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVMqfqf9fII&feature=player_embedded Longmont PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OesGB9nOCik Tell Them your Location PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watchlist=UUEs3VdvSEwX_Uoku5OuS1Wg&feature=player_embedded&v=PnNEUqswJtc my911shop: http://my911shop.com CSEC: http://www.csec.texas.gov App on GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/cellphonesallyapp Cell Phone Sally Blog: http://cellphonesally.blogspot.com Cell Phone Sally Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyJNSDLPHxY

Good morning and welcome to another episode of Within the Trenches. Today's episode is a must listen. In this episode we answer the question, "Who does 9-1-1 call when they need help?" To answer that question I spoke with Sherry, 9-1-1 Operations Supervisor, with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Chairman with the National Joint TERT Initiative for NENA along with Jeremy, a supervisor with the Emergency Communications Department of Monroe County out of Rochester NY and Chairman with the National Joint TERT Initiative for APCO. This episode is packed with information on TERT, the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce. Below you will find links on where to find them and how you can get involved. Make sure to listen and share this episode with everyone you know. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics - Intro to Sherry Intro to Jeremy TERT stories/dispatcher comradre Spread the word on TERT

Good afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is going to be the second and final episode recorded during the 9114911 conference held at the Naperville, Illinois Marriott. In this episode I got the chance to speak to Kelly, CEO of Success Communications Inc. She shared her vision of this one of a kind motivational conference geared towards the most important part of the 9-1-1 world, the true first first responders, the dispatchers. It was an excellent time and the first conference where I truly felt inspired to do more in the 9-1-1 community. This episode is a must listen so check it out and share it. As always if you have any questions or would like to be on the show you can send an email to [email protected]. Success Communications Inc. - Web | Facebook | Twitter 9114911 Conference - Web Episode topics - Kelly's vision Speakers Preparation for next year

Good morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a couple of weeks since the last episode but I'm back so get ready! In this episode I sat down with Samantha, a dispatch supervisor with Fenton PD out of Michigan. The episode was recorded live from the 9114911 conference hosted by Success Communications Inc. Samantha was not only an attendee but she was also a speaker at the conference. Her presentation dealt with dispatcher wellness and specifically sitting at your console. The information she shared was excellent and informative. There will be another post coming up from Samantha herself where she will go more indepth with her presentation and her experience at the conference so stay tuned for that. You don't want to miss it. As always you can email the show with any questions or if you want to be a guest at [email protected]. Episode topics - Samantha's start in dispatch Memorable calls Wellness presentation

Hello everyone and welcome back to another awesome episode of Within the Trenches. I know it has been a while but I have had a lot going on. The past month or so I have been traveling non-stop for work and I recently moved to Fort Wayne Indiana. My schedule has been slammed but I have a lot coming up for the show. New episodes, announcements and fan page fun so get ready! This episode was recorded about 3 weeks ago and is a mash up of the AudioVillains Podcast and Within the Trenches. The AudioVillains podcast is a show I do with my good friends Adam and Ed and it is all kinds of funny. But I have to warn you; we use adult language and humor so if you are not down with that then maybe you should skip this episode. If you are all about it then stay tuned for awesomeness. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – Ed and Adam bios from AudioVillains 911 tape reactions And more hijinks

Welcome back to a brand new episode of Within the Trenches! It has been about a month since episode 70. I have been busy like you wouldn't believe but in no way am I letting this show go. I'm working harder than ever to bring you awesome content including more dispatch stories/highlights and continuing education. I could say everything here but it is all explained in this new episode so check it out and share and comment! As always you can email the show with questions and if you want to be a guest at [email protected].

Welcome back to another excellent episode of Within the Trenches. The show has reached episode 70 and I have to admit that when I first created this show I didn’t think I would reach a number this high. I have enjoyed every moment of this and I will continue to do the show until the 9-1-1 stories run out. This is also going to be the last episode in the 2014 National NENA Conference series. In this episode I spoke with Stacy, a dispatcher with SERESA, a central dispatch for three cities within Macomb County in Michigan and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. The episode could not have gone any better and it was awesome speaking with Stacy. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – Stacy’s dispatch story Taking non-emergency calls on emergency lines Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship process Side projects for continuing education Stacy’s outlook on her future in the 9-1-1 community

Good afternoon and welcome to episode 69 of Within the Trenches. In this episode I had the pleasure of meeting with Richard, a telecommunicator with Mt. Juliet Police and Fire out of Tennessee and one of two nationally selected telecommunicators to receive the 9-1-1 Hero Award through PSTC/911 Cares. This was an excellent episode to record and we even hit an interesting moment around 27 minutes 16 seconds in where maintenance in the Music City Center were packing up displays and you can hear them as they walked past us. I had planned on taking it out but the noise wasn’t too bad. Our reactions to what was going on is funny as it is so I had to keep it in. This is a must listen so make sure to check it out and share! As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – Richard’s dispatch story Tunnel vision after a long shift in dispatch Citizens academy and questions from the public Back story and reaction on receiving the 9-1-1 Hero Award

Good morning and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. In this episode my special guest host and wife Rebecca joined me, along with Rob, Director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana and National NENA North Central Region Director. This episode covers attendee feedback of the conference, text to 911 and three very funny 911 tapes. We even pay a second visit to Rob’s wrestling persona. This is a must listen to make sure to check it out and share. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – Rob’s wrestling persona part 2 Attendee feedback Text to 911 3 911 tapes

Health in the dispatch center is a huge issue. Along with the massive amount of stress that the job offers there are also bad eating habits and minimal exercise opportunities while working. But what if there was something you could do about the exercise aspect of it? What if you had a treadmill or exercise bike attached to your console? Xybix, a dispatch furniture company has taken on the task of assisting in dispatchers’ health with the attachment of a treadmill or bike. This past week I had the chance to meet with Kathleen, Director of Marketing with Xybix to talk about their product as well as try it out for myself on the showroom floor during the 2014 NENA National conference. In this episode we learn about the company as well as some facts and frequently asked questions about the treadmill and bike. The company also publishes blogs with health topics and techniques for the dispatch center. This is a must listen and share! For more information on Xybix please follow the links below and as always, if you have any questions please email us at [email protected]. Xybix – Web | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | YouTube Episode topics – Xybix history Customer feedback Treadmill facts Xybix blogs Frequently Asked Questions

This is episode 66 of Within the Trenches and this is a special episode. Since the beginning of my show I have had people helping me out and giving me advice. One of those people is Mark Fletcher with Avaya. I’ve been on his podcast a few times and this time it was my turn to have him as a guest. Mark is the Chief Architect for Worldwide Public Safety Solutions at Avaya as well as the program director of the longest running Public Safety podcast on the Avaya Podcast Network. We sat down and talked all things 9-1-1 including NENA, ENP certification, Kari’s Law and more. This is a must listen so check it out and share. As always you can email the show at [email protected] and if you would like to learn more about Mark and Kari’s Law follow the links below. Kari’s Law – Web (sign the petition at Change.org) | Facebook Mark Fletcher/APN – Web | APN -E911 Podcast | Facebook | Twitter Episode topics - Mark's start in the 9-1-1 community Mark's motivation to work hard to improve 9-1-1 Kari's Law ENP certification

Welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This is episode 65 and I have to say right off the bat that there was an issue with this one. As you heard in episode 64 we had to redo the entire thing due to a subject who showed up and was drowning out the microphones. Some knobs were turned down and one of them was never turned back up so some audio is missing. I do apologize but it’s still an awesome one so check it out and share. In this episode I spoke with Rob, Director of Vigo County 911 in Indiana and National NENA North Central Region Director and Lori, Training Coordinator with INdigital telecom. I have been trying to get Lori on an episode for a long time now and it killed me that her audio is missing but only until 11 or so minutes in. After that you can hear her and the stories are good. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – Rob’s wrestling persona Lori’s dispatch story (audio low) Pregnancy calls Text to 9-1-1

Good afternoon! This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital. I am currently in Nashville, TN for the 2014 National NENA Conference and this is just one of a series of episodes I’m recording here. In this episode I spoke with Dana, a dispatcher with Sumpter County Sheriff’s Office out of Florida and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. This is a must listen for anyone looking for information on not only the conference but how to apply for next years Friends of 9-1-1 scholarship. We also spoke briefly on the Mini-C that Dana attended back in April and the hard work that Tom of the Cool Kids of 9-1-1 puts into the conference. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. The Cool Kids of 9-1-1 - Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Dana (Dispatch Dana) - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Episode topics - Dana recap of the Mini-C Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship Process CMCP certification Where Dana sees herself in 9-1-1 Drunk dial 9-1-1 tape (Thanks Justin!)

Good morning! This episode is sponsored by NENA and INdigital. I am currently in Nashville, TN for the 2014 National NENA Conference and this is the first of a series of episodes I’m recording here. In this episode I spoke with Brandy, a dispatcher with Licking County 911 Center out of Ohio and a Friends of 911 Scholarship winner. This is a must listen for anyone looking for information on not only the conference but how to apply for next years Friends of 9-1-1 scholarship. As always, if you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show, send an email to [email protected]. Episode topics - Brandy’s dispatch story Friends of 9-1-1 Scholarship process Giving your name when speaking to someone you know on 9-1-1 Networking with other dispatchers

Good afternoon and happy Friday! This episode will be the final episode from the Indiana NENA conference. It was an excellent time and I can’t wait for next year! In this episode I spoke with Jeanene and Kelsie, dispatchers with Vigo County Central Dispatch. This episode is as real as it gets. It’s a look at true stories as well as the humor that goes with the job. It’s not just about being great at what dispatchers do; it’s about the humor needed to make it through this very stressful job. I commend you both for the job you do and all the dispatchers I met in Indiana. Make sure to listen, share and as always you can email the show at [email protected] Episode topics – How Jeanene got her start How Kelsie got her start Dispatch calls Domestic bedpan Burglar ice pops

Good afternoon and welcome back to another awesome episode of Within the Trenches. It has been a pretty busy week with the announcement of Indiana's statewide text-to-9-1-1 plan but I now have time so I'm posting a brand new episode from Indiana's NENA conference. In this episode I spoke with Jessica, a dispatcher / CTO with Kosciusko 9-1-1 Communications. Jessica was honored during the opening ceremony with a few others where she received the Teamwork Award. Jessica shares how she got started in 9-1-1, calls she's taken as well as the details of her teamwork award. Make sure to check this out and share it. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics - How Jessica got her start Dispatch experience Teamwork Award

Good afternoon and welcome back to another episode of Within the Trenches. This episode brings us closer to the end of my time at Indiana’s NENA conference. My time there was inspiring, educational and I can’t wait for next year. The stories covered have been amazing and today’s episode is right up there with the best of them. In this episode I had the chance to speak to Kimberly, a dispatcher/CTO with Jennings County 9-1-1, John, director with Jefferson County 9-1-1 and Nicole, Assistant Director with Montgomery County Communications Center. We reflected on the beginning of their careers along with some hard calls and advice/techniques on how to deal with them. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – How each guest started in 9-1-1 Training techniques Dealing with hard calls The importance of attending a NENA conference

Within the Trenches is back with episode 59! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Julie, Deputy Director with Bartholomew 9-1-1 Center and Claudia who is a dispatcher with Fayette County Communications. We share stories of messing up on the mic, burnout and how to deal with hitting a rough patch and renewing your love for dispatch. This is a must listen so check it out and share! As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics - How Julie started in 9-1-1 How Claudia started in 9-1-1 Messing up on the mic Burnout

Within the Trenches is back with episode 58! This is just one of several episodes recorded last week during the Indiana NENA state conference. In this episode I sat down to talk with Amy, Amanda and Wendy, supervisors with Bartholomew County 9-1-1 Center. We look back at their start in 9-1-1, the classes they attended at the conference and we listened to a 9-1-1 tape that featured Wendy helping with the delivery of a baby girl. This is an episode you do not want to miss! Listen, share and as always you can email the show at [email protected]. Episode topics – How each supervisor started in 9-1-1 Conference classes 9-1-1 birth tape featuring Wendy