November 19, 2025 • 30 mins
The first voice on a 911 call carries a lot more than a headset. In this candid, unfiltered conversation with veteran dispatcher and recovery coach Lisa Trusas, we pull back the curtain on what really happens at the console: juggling multiple emergencies at once, coaching panicked parents through CPR, catching danger in a whisper, and making judgment calls with lives on the line. Lisa’s story reframes dispatch as the heart of public safety—where police, fire, and EMS meet—and where the weight of uncertainty often lingers after the line goes dead.
We dig into the human cost of the work and the culture that shapes it. Lisa lays out the “double stigma” dispatchers face—expected to be as tough as sworn personnel while being dismissed as civilians when they seek help. We compare how fire and police approach debriefs and mental health, why dispatchers are too often left out of critical incident reviews, and how Massachusetts’ mandatory behavioral health training is a step forward. Along the way, we discuss the “300-call syndrome,” the risk of missing red flags after too many routine hang-ups, and the practical skills that matter most: active listening, reading background noise, trusting instincts, and knowing when to insist on a second unit.
This conversation also honors the rare moments of closure that keep people going—the infant saved over the phone who grows up and stays in touch—and the quieter calls that reveal unmet needs, like elders who call because they’re lonely. If you care about first responder mental health, emergency communications, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed practice, this is a grounded, real-world look at where help truly begins: the first call. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to support more honest conversations about the people who hold the line before anyone arrives.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to Resilience Development and
Action with Steve Beast Home.
This is the podcast dedicated tofirst responder mental health,
helping police, fire, EMS,dispatchers, and paramedics
create better growthenvironments for themselves and
their teams.
Let's get started.
SPEAKER_03 (00:29):
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Well, hi everyone, and welcometo episode 231.
If you haven't listened toepisode 230, it's with Tony
(01:13):
Sisenzo.
I hope I said it right thistime.
We talked about the military, itwas Veterans Day, and I hope you
enjoyed that episode.
But for episode 231, I like tothink that she's a real friend.
And what I mean by that is thisyou have colleagues, you have
people you know, and then youhave friends.
And I'd like to think that thisperson that's sitting next to me
(01:36):
is a friend.
Um, I think we've had arelationship for over 10 years,
on and off, of uh discussingdifferent things.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (01:44):
Um, and I have much respect for her because the
first time I did an episode, uh,this is like three, four years
ago, on finding your way throughtherapy about first responders,
she was the first one to pointout, hey, you didn't mention a
dispatch.
And I I know that that's gonnasound like some BS compliment.
Thank you for real.
unknown (02:04):
Welcome.
SPEAKER_03 (02:05):
Because as of after that, I always do it.
And I think a few times I'veeven mentioned you.
But um Lisa Trousis, welcome.
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (02:13):
To find uh to well, okay, start again.
Welcome to ResilienceDevelopment in Action.
SPEAKER_02 (02:18):
Thank you.
Thank you for the invite.
SPEAKER_03 (02:20):
You'll always be invited.
Um you're invited at my office,you're invited on the podcast,
you're invited to my house ifyou want to.
SPEAKER_01 (02:28):
Oh, thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (02:29):
Uh just call in the national.
SPEAKER_01 (02:30):
All right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:31):
I'm not good at like people just showing up, but all
right, I can do that.
Um but um I know you, I feellike I know you really well.
Um but maybe for the audience ofresilience development and
action, they don't know who youare, so maybe you can introduce
yourself.
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
No, I don't.
My name's Lisa Truesus, and I ama single mother of two, and I am
a dispatcher for the MilfordPolice Department for the last
over 20 years.
Um I'm also a recovery coachwith Chris's Corner and the
assistant director at Chris'sCorner, which is a recovery
resource center here in Milford.
SPEAKER_03 (03:06):
You just do that and that's it.
SPEAKER_02 (03:09):
Well, I mean, no, you're right.
So I'm also on the board for theExactly.
I'm she's summing herself.
Um I'm on the board for Pathwayto a Better Life, which is a
temporary warming shelter herein Milford.
And then I'm also on the boardfor the I'm gonna say it wrong
because I always mess it up, butthe Milford Skate Park Project.
SPEAKER_03 (03:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
Um, we're trying to get a skate park here in town.
SPEAKER_03 (03:32):
That's why I get those emails about sponsorship
all the time.
SPEAKER_02 (03:35):
Yeah.
Sorry.
I gotta poke and beg and plead.
SPEAKER_03 (03:38):
Yeah, and you know I've always uh supported you the
best.
SPEAKER_02 (03:41):
You have.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (03:42):
You know, um the hardest part of knowing someone
so well is you don't know whereto start.
True.
You know, um I know thisquestion is kind of a standard
on my podcast, but I'm gonna askyou anyway, and on Millford TV,
it's also important.
Yeah, we're friends, but whatmade you really like when I
(04:04):
contact you and I say you wantto be on the podcast, what made
you want to do it?
SPEAKER_02 (04:11):
I think just knowing you on a personal level, but
also the professional level.
Um, you were my therapist for alittle while.
So I think knowing you on alllevels, I just know how strong
you are in this field and howpassionate you are about re
first responders and gettingthem the help that we actually
(04:34):
need, as much as no one willadmit it.
SPEAKER_03 (04:38):
Well, I think that you know we can go there at some
point because that's the otherpart too is how do we get them
to get help?
Because I think that's thebiggest problem.
I would say that again, withoutbreaking any walls, you've made
dozens of referrals of firstresponders at me.
Of all those referrals, onlyabout four or five actually
showed up.
SPEAKER_01 (04:57):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (04:57):
Um, and we can talk about that difficulty a little
uh later on.
But one of the things is Imentioned it in the intro,
you're a dispatcher.
And for me, we talked about itright beforehand.
You said I forgot my ER nurseswhen I talked about it.
SPEAKER_01 (05:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (05:13):
But for me, dispatch should never be forgotten.
Because I think that there's somany things that happen in
dispatch that people don't knowabout.
And maybe it's time for peopleto understand how difficult it
can be to be a dispatcher.
Do you have any stories that doyou think it's important?
This is a the audience that wehave here is therapists, first
responders in general, but Ilike to think that other people
(05:35):
listen.
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
No.
And I think that's somethinggood because us dispatchers are
kind of labeled as civilians,which, yes, we are civilians,
we're not sworn officers.
Um a lot of the old timers saythat they can do our job very
(05:56):
easily.
I'm gonna say it in a nice way.
Um, but what a lot of peopledon't understand is that police
officers, fire department, andEMS, they're going one call
after one call after one call.
They're only handling one at atime.
In dispatch, we're not.
We might have three accidentsgoing on.
(06:17):
We might have a medical, a fire,and a dog complaint.
We have so much more going onthan just what the officers in
the firefighters on the fieldhave.
SPEAKER_03 (06:31):
But I think it's also because you're central.
SPEAKER_01 (06:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (06:35):
And one of the things that I remember when I
worked um at a particulardepartment is when I sat in
dispatch, I'm sorry, my ego'sway different.
I'm like, I couldn't do this.
Because one of the things thatwas very hard for me to
understand, and it's this like Iworked as an ER mental health
(06:56):
clinician.
One of the hardest parts I wasthinking about is you don't know
what the hell happens after thatcall.
Right.
You know, I I can you if youyou're if you're on YouTube uh
watching this on either MilfordTV or my podcast, go to there's
a Chicago police call from thedispatch perspective that is
chilling.
And you just YouTube it and youcan find it.
(07:19):
And obviously we've known eachother, so I've seen it from your
perspective.
Um what's the hardest part aboutbeing a dispatch and having
these calls?
And you know, it's not it's notlike, oh, you know what, I'm
having the best day of my life.
I just wanted to let you know,Lisa.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (07:34):
Yes, we always hear the negative.
We very rarely hear a thank you.
We very rarely hear you did agreat job.
Um, I think the public is sonegative towards our field, um,
and and I'm saying for usresponders as a whole.
Um I have no idea.
SPEAKER_03 (07:59):
You know, one you know, I I think that you're
right um about people have noidea.
So how does it feel for you?
And I'm gonna give you a veryspecific example, not about a
person, just in general, butit's specific.
You have someone says, Mychild's not breathing.
(08:19):
They're not calling a policeofficer, they're calling you.
And you're on the phone untilthe at least fire EMT, police,
whatever comes first, shows upat the house.
And with particularly kids, it'seven harder.
SPEAKER_01 (08:33):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (08:34):
You have kids?
SPEAKER_01 (08:35):
I do.
SPEAKER_03 (08:36):
I have kids.
I I think that that comes from adifferent perspective sometimes,
and not putting people down whodon't have kids, it's just a
different perspective, that'sall I said.
Um but how is it for you to likeum my two-year-old's not
breathing?
SPEAKER_02 (08:52):
It is probably the worst call that we can get.
Any call involving children, Iwill say, I'm gonna probably
speak for all of us dispatchers,is they're one of the hardest
calls, whether you have childrenor not.
Um you think that the that childis just so innocent.
That child did really nothing toget into whether it's they're
(09:14):
not breathing or the situwhatever situation they're in.
Um but with kids, it's it's thehardest calls we've ever taken.
SPEAKER_03 (09:24):
So someone calls, you dispatch appropriately.
One of the realities you'vetalked to me about, and I want
to put it out there, is that oh,the officer got is at the door,
and you they drop the phone, andyou're left with that.
Yes.
Oh, by the way, the phone'sringing.
SPEAKER_02 (09:43):
Yep, phone's ringing.
SPEAKER_03 (09:45):
You just had this call about talking almost
through CPR with someone orsomething like that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:50):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (09:52):
I I I've worked a lot of difficult jobs in my
career, and I'm it's not a brag,it's just what it is.
I can't imagine being in thatposition.
I need to know the conclusion.
SPEAKER_02 (10:03):
Sometimes, um on a rare occasion, we do get a
conclusion.
Um actually, I want to say itwas possibly 2012.
Um, I had a mother call me andsay her daughter wasn't
breathing.
I believe her daughter was babynine at the time, somewhere
around there.
(10:23):
And she was so hysterical.
I finally, what we call it, wehad to do it, I had to do a
verbal slap.
And it was just like, you know,a very stern, ma'am.
Do you want to help your child?
It straightened her out.
She did CPR.
Her daughter just graduated highschool this year, I'm pretty
sure.
We're still friends on Facebook.
Um, we've gone up to dinnertogether on a few occasions, but
(10:46):
it's that's one of thesituations that we actually got
the I was gonna say, that's arare occasion.
Very rare.
Um trying to think of a recentsituation that we've had.
We've had maybe a few motorvehicle accidents with
pedestrians.
(11:07):
We never know.
We're the ones getting thosephone calls of the people
screaming, whether it's I justhit somebody or I just witnessed
this.
Very, very rarely we have anyidea if that person was
transported to UMass,transported to Boston, survived,
lost a limb, anything like that.
SPEAKER_03 (11:26):
They had a scratch and they went to Milford
Hospital, not putting downMilford, but that's the work
they do.
You never know any of that.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
No.
SPEAKER_03 (11:33):
I really like, you know, I caught myself while we
were talking about that.
Like, I I don't want to be oneof those public people who go,
What's your worst story?
I don't want to hear your worststory, I promise.
But I do want to know how, like,you don't process that.
It's the officers, you know,they're the same way.
But how do you deal with it?
Because you've been doing thisfor 20 years.
unknown (11:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:56):
I don't really truthful truthfully have an
answer for that.
Um, I think what I do a lot is Idon't bring my work home with
me.
At least the police departmentwork home with me.
Um, and I try to leave that atthe door.
Um I think a lot of us firstresponders have a sixth sense.
(12:21):
People think we're kind of alittle screwed up.
But I think what the world needsto realize is that we see so
much bad.
We just need to move on with ourday.
SPEAKER_03 (12:34):
Right.
But that no, I'll I'll challengeyou a little bit here.
I'm able to leave it at thedoor, but I can think about 20
stories right off the top of myhead of either being in the ER
as the clinician or on thestreets in Worcester or in the
(12:58):
weeds in Framingham, um, whereyou kind of take care of the
situation, and then all right,well, now you gotta go to this
call, and I don't know what thehell happened.
SPEAKER_01 (13:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (13:11):
I can tell you that I tried to put that aside, and I
do have a like, you know, thegood part is in mental health
and social work, they kind ofteach you how to kind of leave
it at the door.
They don't teach that todispatch.
SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
No, they don't.
SPEAKER_03 (13:24):
So, do you have any suggestions as to how we could
deal with that?
In the sense that for me, oneone of my biggest pet peeves,
and not every department's likethat, and I'm not putting say
putting everyone, it's an allnot an all-or-nothing thing, but
there's so many people that youknow, you're dispatch, you're
one of us until you're not.
And you're a civilian.
(13:46):
And you don't understand.
And if I'm talking out oftongue, I don't care, it's just
what it is, right?
Is there a way for people tounderstand that the trainings
for mental health, the trainingsfor everything else that goes
with that is as important, ifnot more, for it is very
important.
SPEAKER_02 (14:06):
And actually, um over the last probably two years
or so, it could have been more,um us dispatchers actually have
to do it's in Massachusetts,it's a mandatory two-hour
behavioral health training forour mental health.
Um and that has just beenimplemented again two, three
(14:28):
years ago.
And I think another good thingis for us as dispatchers is we
can talk to our coworkers aboutit because they understand
what's going on.
Um therapy.
Therapy's huge, groups, thingslike that.
(14:49):
More and more nowadays, when Istarted 20 years ago, it wasn't
even a thing.
But more and more now, there arefirst responder trained
therapists, they'retrauma-informed, there's groups
and things like that.
SPEAKER_03 (15:05):
I still think there's a stigma associated with
that.
And I think that I I will evengo even further for my dispatch
folks that I've worked withbefore, currently, and in the
future.
There's a double stigma.
Because you work in the firstresponder world, so you gotta be
able to handle it.
(15:26):
But you're a civilian, so youdefinitely can't handle it, and
that's why you're in therapy.
So to me, there's a doublestigma there.
SPEAKER_02 (15:34):
Yes.
Um I think first responder worldtherapy is stigmatized.
I said recently to one of theguys I work with, I said, I'm on
antidepressants, I'm onmedication, and I see a
therapist.
They were shocked.
I'm like, we all have crap wehave to deal with, like we have
(15:55):
to process it.
Like they were just blown awayby that.
But I also think it's a lot ofknowledge.
Right.
A lot of people don't understandthat you can be on
antidepressants, you can see atherapist, and you can be
completely sane and completelyliving your life.
SPEAKER_03 (16:12):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (16:13):
They're all stigmatized as people who are on
medication and C therapy arecrazy.
SPEAKER_03 (16:19):
Right.
And I think that that's thestuff that I feel like
dispatchers go through, firstresponders go through.
I do feel there's been a shiftin the last maybe five to ten
years.
I'm not saying a full shift, butat least a shift.
And you know, part of this stuffis, you know, when we can go
into the schisms of the world,we can go to the, I think it's
(16:39):
what's the other one, scissor,C-A-I, C I S R.
Uh.
But I also think that sometimesdispatch doesn't get invited to
that party.
SPEAKER_02 (16:48):
Yes.
A lot of debriefings were notasked to come.
Um nowadays we are.
But I mean, uh we've beenthrough, I've been through many,
many traumatic incidents.
Dispatchers were never asked ifthey wanted to join in on the
debriefing.
(17:10):
Um I will say I've noticed thatthe fire department is more on
board with the debriefing andthe therapy and the counseling
and the mental health comparedto the police department as of
right now.
And I'm just saying in ageneralized, I'm not just
saying, you know, the town Iwork in because I've worked for
(17:31):
several, but it's definitelygeneralized that the fire
department is more if they havea debriefing, they ask us if we
want to come.
They, for the most part, have adebriefing for every major
incident they do have.
SPEAKER_03 (17:45):
Do you see the I think that the harder the the
part that I would tell you isthat I've had many police
officers, many firefighters sayexactly the same thing.
That it's less stigmatized inthe fire departments than it is
in the police departments.
So you see the difference inculture.
What do you think is differentfrom the fire to the police
(18:05):
culture that makes it a lot moreopen to this?
SPEAKER_02 (18:12):
I honestly am not sure.
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
I mean, uh to me, I'm gonna give you my opinion is
that they're used to grouptherapy.
And what I mean by that is thisthey sit around the table and
chit-chat and shoot the shit.
Um and they're able to do thatand be able to be themselves.
Where I find that um you don'tget that as much on the fire
(18:38):
department the policedepartments.
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
I agree with you because and when the fire
department goes on calls, forthe most part, they're kind of a
group.
Police department A, they mightbe having dinner by themselves,
they might be having dinner withtheir family, um but they're in
a cruiser for the most part bythemselves.
So you are right about that.
(19:02):
I I agree wholeheartedly.
SPEAKER_03 (19:05):
And I think that that's because the other part
too that I bring up is that inpolice, because you're on your
own constantly, it becomes alsopart of the culture that you can
handle your shit on your own.
Uh you can bleep me all you wanton this, but that's the truth.
SPEAKER_02 (19:24):
It is.
And you we see that beingdispatchers if we we have a, you
know, we're the ones taking thecall.
We have a strange feeling aboutsomething.
If we're sending two people,there's a reason.
Right.
Especially like us experienceddispatchers.
We hear the tone of their voice,we hear the background noises,
(19:48):
we hear the red flags.
If we're sending two, there's areason.
If we're sending more, there's areally good reason.
SPEAKER_03 (19:55):
And that's good law enforcement instincts.
SPEAKER_02 (19:59):
And a lot of them will back the other one off.
And for us experienceddispatchers, we will tell them
no.
Continue, please.
SPEAKER_03 (20:09):
Right.
And that's what I mean aboutsuch a very unique experience
when you're a dispatch.
I mean it does happen, but forthe most part, they're
civilians.
But they have to have almost theinstincts of not being on scene.
I get that, I don't want tocompare that, but the instincts
of hmm, this doesn't smell good.
unknown (20:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (20:30):
We have to do active listening.
There's all kinds of sayingsthat we learn in our trainings.
We have to do active listening.
You have to listen to thebackground noises, you have to
listen to how that person istalking to you, whether they're
whispering, whether they'retrying to say they're hurt or
(20:50):
some there's a bad situation,but it was just a I won't hang
up.
Nope, everything's fine.
So you have to kind of you gottago with your gut with a lot of
them.
SPEAKER_03 (21:00):
And hang-ups, how's that for you?
SPEAKER_02 (21:06):
For the most part there were hang-ups.
unknown (21:11):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (21:12):
But you also have to be careful that you don't get
that 300-call syndrome that theycall.
Which is which is you get somany-on hang-ups or so many
accidents, so many of the samecall that you disregard
something big.
SPEAKER_01 (21:26):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (21:27):
And you f don't catch on to that one red flag
that was given out.
SPEAKER_03 (21:33):
It's a lot of pressure.
I don't like the other part thatI would talk about too is not
only the hangups, which when I'magain, not comparing the two,
very different.
But when I worked on a crisisteam for mental health, those
hangups kind of accumulated.
And sometimes uh we would havethe display, and sometimes we
(21:56):
wouldn't.
And then, oh, you know,508-555-5555 is called seven
times with hangups.
Is that a red flag?
Is it someone who's butt dialingyou?
SPEAKER_02 (22:09):
Or is it an elderly person who's blind and deaf and
has no idea what he's doing withhis phone?
SPEAKER_03 (22:14):
And trying to do 411.
SPEAKER_02 (22:16):
Yep, and and we have that.
We have it from the seniorcenters, we have it from you
know, nursing homes, and we haveour frequent flyers.
SPEAKER_03 (22:26):
Yeah, frequent flyers are very important to
note.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (22:31):
One of the things that I remember, and I will give
credit to my old boss aboutthis.
It's easy to get annoyed withfrequent flyers, and again, if
I'm breaking a wall, I don'tcare.
But my boss years ago, when Ifirst started on the crisis
team, says, but remember they'rea frequent flyer for a reason.
(22:52):
And obviously, I work in themental health field, but I've
done substance use all that timein Massachusetts.
You don't need necessarily adifferent uh licensure.
And that's where I never likeyou talked about the three the
300 call syndrome.
I call it um they're a frequentflyer for a reason.
(23:13):
And that keeps me from being Idon't know, cynical.
SPEAKER_02 (23:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (23:20):
Lisa's calling again.
SPEAKER_02 (23:22):
Yep.
And it's it's hard to not saythat.
SPEAKER_03 (23:25):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:26):
It's truly hard not to say that.
We're humans.
Yeah, we are.
And I think that's somethingelse that I think the public
needs to remember too, is we arehumans.
SPEAKER_03 (23:35):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:36):
And with the frequent flyers, we have one
recently who's lonely and justwants somebody to talk to.
And I know I had several yearsago, I had a younger dispatcher
who was just rude to an elderlyfemale.
And afterwards I was like, whathappens if that was your
(23:57):
grandmother?
SPEAKER_01 (23:58):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:58):
That you know, you have no idea her situation, you
have no idea if she's lonely.
You don't know.
And you could tell he changedhis tune.
Sometimes we're the only peoplethey get to talk to.
SPEAKER_03 (24:14):
That's the experience from the crisis
theme, too.
I I agree with youwholeheartedly.
Yes.
Because there would be a guy, uhuh no longer of this world,
unfortunately, he would call twoto three times.
I worked the day, I worked theovernight and the night like
second shift or the equivalentof second shift sometimes, but
mostly nights.
And he would call and he wouldbe honest, he'd be hi, it's John
(24:37):
Doe.
I'm just lonely.
And I would say to John Doesometimes, John, I'm dealing
with two other things.
I know you're lonely.
Can you call me in like 20minutes?
SPEAKER_02 (24:47):
And he does.
SPEAKER_03 (24:48):
And he does, faithfully.
SPEAKER_02 (24:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (24:49):
And you I talked to him for five minutes, he
wouldn't call for the rest ofthe night because I gave him a
time of day for five minutes.
Those are the little things thatpeople don't know about our
jobs.
And yeah, I give credit wherecredit is due.
What I tell John Doe, call me infive in 20 minutes, he would
call back and sometimes they'dbe like, Oh, I forgot to say
that.
And that's like the human sideof me.
Um, but then you talk to him forfive minutes and you just made
(25:12):
his day.
SPEAKER_01 (25:12):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:13):
Those are different types of frequent flyers, but he
called because he was truly, Iwas his only, well, someone from
the crisis team was his onlycontact all day.
SPEAKER_01 (25:22):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:24):
And I think that that's the other part that
people don't understand about,you know, you screen those out
so that they don't have to gonecessarily for a call.
SPEAKER_01 (25:32):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:33):
But you do have to deal with that, and that's not
like in the logs or anythinglike that.
SPEAKER_02 (25:38):
So it it actually is in the logs.
Oh, it is?
It is, and but uh that helps usto get our n our call volume to
show our true call volume, notjust the calls for service that
police officers go to.
We do have those calls that usin dispatch have to deal with.
Whether it is somebody pickingup their wallet, some that was
(25:59):
turned in, you know, somebodydropping off a wallet or a phone
that was turned in, whether wehave those frequent flyers, or
whether we have people who arejust downright screaming at us
for God knows what reason,because we have that a lot.
Again, they're frequent flyers,they're just screaming at us
because they're mad at life, andwe're logging those.
(26:23):
So we do log those for the mostpart.
SPEAKER_03 (26:27):
Okay.
Well, the other one that Iwanted to mention, as uh we're
already close to time herealready.
SPEAKER_01 (26:33):
Wow.
SPEAKER_03 (26:34):
Um, I'd love to talk about well, I don't know if I
want to love to talk about it,but I certainly want to bring up
the other hard ones, I think, issuicide.
Having dealt with those on thecrisis team.
Um, obviously different animalthan yours.
I'm not again for anyone wholistens to this show knows I
never take away what I do andsay it's the same as, because
(26:54):
it's not.
On this batch, the unconvenienttruth from a crisis team's
perspective, and this is what II I've observed, they call me
they're suicidal with a plan onon a crisis line.
It doesn't seem as intense aswhen they call you guys.
SPEAKER_02 (27:14):
Most of the time when they call us with a plan,
they they're doing it.
They have the plan to do it.
We do get the calls, you know,the cry for help often.
But we do get those phone callswhere you know they're done.
(27:34):
You know that they're going toattempt to successfully.
SPEAKER_03 (27:38):
Unaligned themselves, yeah.
Those are chilling.
SPEAKER_02 (27:43):
Those are those are difficult.
Um I am thankful to be honestwith you that I haven't had too
many that I, you know, that havestuck with me, that have really
stuck with me.
Um but it's definitely hard whenyou have the family members who
find their loved ones too,because they are either in shock
(28:07):
and completely like dumbfounded,or just speechless, or you have
them hysterically where youcan't understand anything.
SPEAKER_03 (28:21):
And that's the one of the things that I explain to
people is like you can see it onscene and that happens.
But dispatch hears these wallowsfrom deep down inside of
people's hearts that is soundescribable.
And yes, did I have those a fewtimes?
Sure, but not but again, not thesame job.
(28:42):
And it's hard for me to kind tomake people understand that that
deep fear that I'm I'm sofearful, I want to end this, I'm
done with this.
It's hard to really put in wordshow much emotion that brings.
SPEAKER_02 (28:57):
Yeah.
It's you know, I'm not one totear up at work.
Um I actually very rarely do,but sometimes you get that one
call, and after you hang up, yougotta take a breath or you need
to walk away for a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (29:16):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (29:17):
And just kind of think about what just happened.
I mean, you're coming right backto that chair and those phones,
but it's okay for us to walkaway for a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (29:29):
There's so much more I want to ask you.
We didn't even get to substanceuse.
SPEAKER_01 (29:35):
No, we didn't.
SPEAKER_03 (29:35):
We didn't get to any of that.
So what I'm gonna do is I'mgonna end the the this episode
with you, but we're gonna talkon the other side if you don't
mind.
SPEAKER_01 (29:43):
Sure.
SPEAKER_03 (29:43):
Um, but uh thank you.
Thank you.
I want I wanted people to see itfrom a dispatch perspective.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (29:49):
It's forgotten too often, and you know how loyal I
am to you.
So uh love you.
Thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_02 (29:56):
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_03 (29:57):
And uh we'll see you on the other side for the next
episode.
SPEAKER_00 (30:00):
Thank you.
Please like, subscribe, andfollow this podcast on your
favorite platform.
A glowing review is alwayshelpful.
And as a reminder, this podcastis for informational,
educational, and entertainmentpurposes only.
If you're struggling with amental health or substance abuse
issue, please reach out to aprofessional counselor for
(30:21):
consultation.
If you are in a mental healthcrisis, call 988 for assistance.
This number is available in theUnited States and Canada.
Welcome to Resilience Development and
Action with Steve Beast Home.
This is the podcast dedicated tofirst responder mental health,
helping police, fire, EMS,dispatchers, and paramedics
create better growthenvironments for themselves and
their teams.
Let's get started.
SPEAKER_03 (00:29):
You know you've heard me talk about this before.
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Well, hi everyone, and welcometo episode 231.
If you haven't listened toepisode 230, it's with Tony
(01:13):
Sisenzo.
I hope I said it right thistime.
We talked about the military, itwas Veterans Day, and I hope you
enjoyed that episode.
But for episode 231, I like tothink that she's a real friend.
And what I mean by that is thisyou have colleagues, you have
people you know, and then youhave friends.
And I'd like to think that thisperson that's sitting next to me
(01:36):
is a friend.
Um, I think we've had arelationship for over 10 years,
on and off, of uh discussingdifferent things.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (01:44):
Um, and I have much respect for her because the
first time I did an episode, uh,this is like three, four years
ago, on finding your way throughtherapy about first responders,
she was the first one to pointout, hey, you didn't mention a
dispatch.
And I I know that that's gonnasound like some BS compliment.
Thank you for real.
unknown (02:04):
Welcome.
SPEAKER_03 (02:05):
Because as of after that, I always do it.
And I think a few times I'veeven mentioned you.
But um Lisa Trousis, welcome.
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (02:13):
To find uh to well, okay, start again.
Welcome to ResilienceDevelopment in Action.
SPEAKER_02 (02:18):
Thank you.
Thank you for the invite.
SPEAKER_03 (02:20):
You'll always be invited.
Um you're invited at my office,you're invited on the podcast,
you're invited to my house ifyou want to.
SPEAKER_01 (02:28):
Oh, thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (02:29):
Uh just call in the national.
SPEAKER_01 (02:30):
All right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:31):
I'm not good at like people just showing up, but all
right, I can do that.
Um but um I know you, I feellike I know you really well.
Um but maybe for the audience ofresilience development and
action, they don't know who youare, so maybe you can introduce
yourself.
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
No, I don't.
My name's Lisa Truesus, and I ama single mother of two, and I am
a dispatcher for the MilfordPolice Department for the last
over 20 years.
Um I'm also a recovery coachwith Chris's Corner and the
assistant director at Chris'sCorner, which is a recovery
resource center here in Milford.
SPEAKER_03 (03:06):
You just do that and that's it.
SPEAKER_02 (03:09):
Well, I mean, no, you're right.
So I'm also on the board for theExactly.
I'm she's summing herself.
Um I'm on the board for Pathwayto a Better Life, which is a
temporary warming shelter herein Milford.
And then I'm also on the boardfor the I'm gonna say it wrong
because I always mess it up, butthe Milford Skate Park Project.
SPEAKER_03 (03:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
Um, we're trying to get a skate park here in town.
SPEAKER_03 (03:32):
That's why I get those emails about sponsorship
all the time.
SPEAKER_02 (03:35):
Yeah.
Sorry.
I gotta poke and beg and plead.
SPEAKER_03 (03:38):
Yeah, and you know I've always uh supported you the
best.
SPEAKER_02 (03:41):
You have.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (03:42):
You know, um the hardest part of knowing someone
so well is you don't know whereto start.
True.
You know, um I know thisquestion is kind of a standard
on my podcast, but I'm gonna askyou anyway, and on Millford TV,
it's also important.
Yeah, we're friends, but whatmade you really like when I
(04:04):
contact you and I say you wantto be on the podcast, what made
you want to do it?
SPEAKER_02 (04:11):
I think just knowing you on a personal level, but
also the professional level.
Um, you were my therapist for alittle while.
So I think knowing you on alllevels, I just know how strong
you are in this field and howpassionate you are about re
first responders and gettingthem the help that we actually
(04:34):
need, as much as no one willadmit it.
SPEAKER_03 (04:38):
Well, I think that you know we can go there at some
point because that's the otherpart too is how do we get them
to get help?
Because I think that's thebiggest problem.
I would say that again, withoutbreaking any walls, you've made
dozens of referrals of firstresponders at me.
Of all those referrals, onlyabout four or five actually
showed up.
SPEAKER_01 (04:57):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (04:57):
Um, and we can talk about that difficulty a little
uh later on.
But one of the things is Imentioned it in the intro,
you're a dispatcher.
And for me, we talked about itright beforehand.
You said I forgot my ER nurseswhen I talked about it.
SPEAKER_01 (05:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (05:13):
But for me, dispatch should never be forgotten.
Because I think that there's somany things that happen in
dispatch that people don't knowabout.
And maybe it's time for peopleto understand how difficult it
can be to be a dispatcher.
Do you have any stories that doyou think it's important?
This is a the audience that wehave here is therapists, first
responders in general, but Ilike to think that other people
(05:35):
listen.
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
No.
And I think that's somethinggood because us dispatchers are
kind of labeled as civilians,which, yes, we are civilians,
we're not sworn officers.
Um a lot of the old timers saythat they can do our job very
(05:56):
easily.
I'm gonna say it in a nice way.
Um, but what a lot of peopledon't understand is that police
officers, fire department, andEMS, they're going one call
after one call after one call.
They're only handling one at atime.
In dispatch, we're not.
We might have three accidentsgoing on.
(06:17):
We might have a medical, a fire,and a dog complaint.
We have so much more going onthan just what the officers in
the firefighters on the fieldhave.
SPEAKER_03 (06:31):
But I think it's also because you're central.
SPEAKER_01 (06:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (06:35):
And one of the things that I remember when I
worked um at a particulardepartment is when I sat in
dispatch, I'm sorry, my ego'sway different.
I'm like, I couldn't do this.
Because one of the things thatwas very hard for me to
understand, and it's this like Iworked as an ER mental health
(06:56):
clinician.
One of the hardest parts I wasthinking about is you don't know
what the hell happens after thatcall.
Right.
You know, I I can you if youyou're if you're on YouTube uh
watching this on either MilfordTV or my podcast, go to there's
a Chicago police call from thedispatch perspective that is
chilling.
And you just YouTube it and youcan find it.
(07:19):
And obviously we've known eachother, so I've seen it from your
perspective.
Um what's the hardest part aboutbeing a dispatch and having
these calls?
And you know, it's not it's notlike, oh, you know what, I'm
having the best day of my life.
I just wanted to let you know,Lisa.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (07:34):
Yes, we always hear the negative.
We very rarely hear a thank you.
We very rarely hear you did agreat job.
Um, I think the public is sonegative towards our field, um,
and and I'm saying for usresponders as a whole.
Um I have no idea.
SPEAKER_03 (07:59):
You know, one you know, I I think that you're
right um about people have noidea.
So how does it feel for you?
And I'm gonna give you a veryspecific example, not about a
person, just in general, butit's specific.
You have someone says, Mychild's not breathing.
(08:19):
They're not calling a policeofficer, they're calling you.
And you're on the phone untilthe at least fire EMT, police,
whatever comes first, shows upat the house.
And with particularly kids, it'seven harder.
SPEAKER_01 (08:33):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (08:34):
You have kids?
SPEAKER_01 (08:35):
I do.
SPEAKER_03 (08:36):
I have kids.
I I think that that comes from adifferent perspective sometimes,
and not putting people down whodon't have kids, it's just a
different perspective, that'sall I said.
Um but how is it for you to likeum my two-year-old's not
breathing?
SPEAKER_02 (08:52):
It is probably the worst call that we can get.
Any call involving children, Iwill say, I'm gonna probably
speak for all of us dispatchers,is they're one of the hardest
calls, whether you have childrenor not.
Um you think that the that childis just so innocent.
That child did really nothing toget into whether it's they're
(09:14):
not breathing or the situwhatever situation they're in.
Um but with kids, it's it's thehardest calls we've ever taken.
SPEAKER_03 (09:24):
So someone calls, you dispatch appropriately.
One of the realities you'vetalked to me about, and I want
to put it out there, is that oh,the officer got is at the door,
and you they drop the phone, andyou're left with that.
Yes.
Oh, by the way, the phone'sringing.
SPEAKER_02 (09:43):
Yep, phone's ringing.
SPEAKER_03 (09:45):
You just had this call about talking almost
through CPR with someone orsomething like that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:50):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (09:52):
I I I've worked a lot of difficult jobs in my
career, and I'm it's not a brag,it's just what it is.
I can't imagine being in thatposition.
I need to know the conclusion.
SPEAKER_02 (10:03):
Sometimes, um on a rare occasion, we do get a
conclusion.
Um actually, I want to say itwas possibly 2012.
Um, I had a mother call me andsay her daughter wasn't
breathing.
I believe her daughter was babynine at the time, somewhere
around there.
(10:23):
And she was so hysterical.
I finally, what we call it, wehad to do it, I had to do a
verbal slap.
And it was just like, you know,a very stern, ma'am.
Do you want to help your child?
It straightened her out.
She did CPR.
Her daughter just graduated highschool this year, I'm pretty
sure.
We're still friends on Facebook.
Um, we've gone up to dinnertogether on a few occasions, but
(10:46):
it's that's one of thesituations that we actually got
the I was gonna say, that's arare occasion.
Very rare.
Um trying to think of a recentsituation that we've had.
We've had maybe a few motorvehicle accidents with
pedestrians.
(11:07):
We never know.
We're the ones getting thosephone calls of the people
screaming, whether it's I justhit somebody or I just witnessed
this.
Very, very rarely we have anyidea if that person was
transported to UMass,transported to Boston, survived,
lost a limb, anything like that.
SPEAKER_03 (11:26):
They had a scratch and they went to Milford
Hospital, not putting downMilford, but that's the work
they do.
You never know any of that.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
No.
SPEAKER_03 (11:33):
I really like, you know, I caught myself while we
were talking about that.
Like, I I don't want to be oneof those public people who go,
What's your worst story?
I don't want to hear your worststory, I promise.
But I do want to know how, like,you don't process that.
It's the officers, you know,they're the same way.
But how do you deal with it?
Because you've been doing thisfor 20 years.
unknown (11:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:56):
I don't really truthful truthfully have an
answer for that.
Um, I think what I do a lot is Idon't bring my work home with
me.
At least the police departmentwork home with me.
Um, and I try to leave that atthe door.
Um I think a lot of us firstresponders have a sixth sense.
(12:21):
People think we're kind of alittle screwed up.
But I think what the world needsto realize is that we see so
much bad.
We just need to move on with ourday.
SPEAKER_03 (12:34):
Right.
But that no, I'll I'll challengeyou a little bit here.
I'm able to leave it at thedoor, but I can think about 20
stories right off the top of myhead of either being in the ER
as the clinician or on thestreets in Worcester or in the
(12:58):
weeds in Framingham, um, whereyou kind of take care of the
situation, and then all right,well, now you gotta go to this
call, and I don't know what thehell happened.
SPEAKER_01 (13:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (13:11):
I can tell you that I tried to put that aside, and I
do have a like, you know, thegood part is in mental health
and social work, they kind ofteach you how to kind of leave
it at the door.
They don't teach that todispatch.
SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
No, they don't.
SPEAKER_03 (13:24):
So, do you have any suggestions as to how we could
deal with that?
In the sense that for me, oneone of my biggest pet peeves,
and not every department's likethat, and I'm not putting say
putting everyone, it's an allnot an all-or-nothing thing, but
there's so many people that youknow, you're dispatch, you're
one of us until you're not.
And you're a civilian.
(13:46):
And you don't understand.
And if I'm talking out oftongue, I don't care, it's just
what it is, right?
Is there a way for people tounderstand that the trainings
for mental health, the trainingsfor everything else that goes
with that is as important, ifnot more, for it is very
important.
SPEAKER_02 (14:06):
And actually, um over the last probably two years
or so, it could have been more,um us dispatchers actually have
to do it's in Massachusetts,it's a mandatory two-hour
behavioral health training forour mental health.
Um and that has just beenimplemented again two, three
(14:28):
years ago.
And I think another good thingis for us as dispatchers is we
can talk to our coworkers aboutit because they understand
what's going on.
Um therapy.
Therapy's huge, groups, thingslike that.
(14:49):
More and more nowadays, when Istarted 20 years ago, it wasn't
even a thing.
But more and more now, there arefirst responder trained
therapists, they'retrauma-informed, there's groups
and things like that.
SPEAKER_03 (15:05):
I still think there's a stigma associated with
that.
And I think that I I will evengo even further for my dispatch
folks that I've worked withbefore, currently, and in the
future.
There's a double stigma.
Because you work in the firstresponder world, so you gotta be
able to handle it.
(15:26):
But you're a civilian, so youdefinitely can't handle it, and
that's why you're in therapy.
So to me, there's a doublestigma there.
SPEAKER_02 (15:34):
Yes.
Um I think first responder worldtherapy is stigmatized.
I said recently to one of theguys I work with, I said, I'm on
antidepressants, I'm onmedication, and I see a
therapist.
They were shocked.
I'm like, we all have crap wehave to deal with, like we have
(15:55):
to process it.
Like they were just blown awayby that.
But I also think it's a lot ofknowledge.
Right.
A lot of people don't understandthat you can be on
antidepressants, you can see atherapist, and you can be
completely sane and completelyliving your life.
SPEAKER_03 (16:12):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (16:13):
They're all stigmatized as people who are on
medication and C therapy arecrazy.
SPEAKER_03 (16:19):
Right.
And I think that that's thestuff that I feel like
dispatchers go through, firstresponders go through.
I do feel there's been a shiftin the last maybe five to ten
years.
I'm not saying a full shift, butat least a shift.
And you know, part of this stuffis, you know, when we can go
into the schisms of the world,we can go to the, I think it's
(16:39):
what's the other one, scissor,C-A-I, C I S R.
Uh.
But I also think that sometimesdispatch doesn't get invited to
that party.
SPEAKER_02 (16:48):
Yes.
A lot of debriefings were notasked to come.
Um nowadays we are.
But I mean, uh we've beenthrough, I've been through many,
many traumatic incidents.
Dispatchers were never asked ifthey wanted to join in on the
debriefing.
(17:10):
Um I will say I've noticed thatthe fire department is more on
board with the debriefing andthe therapy and the counseling
and the mental health comparedto the police department as of
right now.
And I'm just saying in ageneralized, I'm not just
saying, you know, the town Iwork in because I've worked for
(17:31):
several, but it's definitelygeneralized that the fire
department is more if they havea debriefing, they ask us if we
want to come.
They, for the most part, have adebriefing for every major
incident they do have.
SPEAKER_03 (17:45):
Do you see the I think that the harder the the
part that I would tell you isthat I've had many police
officers, many firefighters sayexactly the same thing.
That it's less stigmatized inthe fire departments than it is
in the police departments.
So you see the difference inculture.
What do you think is differentfrom the fire to the police
(18:05):
culture that makes it a lot moreopen to this?
SPEAKER_02 (18:12):
I honestly am not sure.
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
I mean, uh to me, I'm gonna give you my opinion is
that they're used to grouptherapy.
And what I mean by that is thisthey sit around the table and
chit-chat and shoot the shit.
Um and they're able to do thatand be able to be themselves.
Where I find that um you don'tget that as much on the fire
(18:38):
department the policedepartments.
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
I agree with you because and when the fire
department goes on calls, forthe most part, they're kind of a
group.
Police department A, they mightbe having dinner by themselves,
they might be having dinner withtheir family, um but they're in
a cruiser for the most part bythemselves.
So you are right about that.
(19:02):
I I agree wholeheartedly.
SPEAKER_03 (19:05):
And I think that that's because the other part
too that I bring up is that inpolice, because you're on your
own constantly, it becomes alsopart of the culture that you can
handle your shit on your own.
Uh you can bleep me all you wanton this, but that's the truth.
SPEAKER_02 (19:24):
It is.
And you we see that beingdispatchers if we we have a, you
know, we're the ones taking thecall.
We have a strange feeling aboutsomething.
If we're sending two people,there's a reason.
Right.
Especially like us experienceddispatchers.
We hear the tone of their voice,we hear the background noises,
(19:48):
we hear the red flags.
If we're sending two, there's areason.
If we're sending more, there's areally good reason.
SPEAKER_03 (19:55):
And that's good law enforcement instincts.
SPEAKER_02 (19:59):
And a lot of them will back the other one off.
And for us experienceddispatchers, we will tell them
no.
Continue, please.
SPEAKER_03 (20:09):
Right.
And that's what I mean aboutsuch a very unique experience
when you're a dispatch.
I mean it does happen, but forthe most part, they're
civilians.
But they have to have almost theinstincts of not being on scene.
I get that, I don't want tocompare that, but the instincts
of hmm, this doesn't smell good.
unknown (20:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (20:30):
We have to do active listening.
There's all kinds of sayingsthat we learn in our trainings.
We have to do active listening.
You have to listen to thebackground noises, you have to
listen to how that person istalking to you, whether they're
whispering, whether they'retrying to say they're hurt or
(20:50):
some there's a bad situation,but it was just a I won't hang
up.
Nope, everything's fine.
So you have to kind of you gottago with your gut with a lot of
them.
SPEAKER_03 (21:00):
And hang-ups, how's that for you?
SPEAKER_02 (21:06):
For the most part there were hang-ups.
unknown (21:11):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (21:12):
But you also have to be careful that you don't get
that 300-call syndrome that theycall.
Which is which is you get somany-on hang-ups or so many
accidents, so many of the samecall that you disregard
something big.
SPEAKER_01 (21:26):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (21:27):
And you f don't catch on to that one red flag
that was given out.
SPEAKER_03 (21:33):
It's a lot of pressure.
I don't like the other part thatI would talk about too is not
only the hangups, which when I'magain, not comparing the two,
very different.
But when I worked on a crisisteam for mental health, those
hangups kind of accumulated.
And sometimes uh we would havethe display, and sometimes we
(21:56):
wouldn't.
And then, oh, you know,508-555-5555 is called seven
times with hangups.
Is that a red flag?
Is it someone who's butt dialingyou?
SPEAKER_02 (22:09):
Or is it an elderly person who's blind and deaf and
has no idea what he's doing withhis phone?
SPEAKER_03 (22:14):
And trying to do 411.
SPEAKER_02 (22:16):
Yep, and and we have that.
We have it from the seniorcenters, we have it from you
know, nursing homes, and we haveour frequent flyers.
SPEAKER_03 (22:26):
Yeah, frequent flyers are very important to
note.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (22:31):
One of the things that I remember, and I will give
credit to my old boss aboutthis.
It's easy to get annoyed withfrequent flyers, and again, if
I'm breaking a wall, I don'tcare.
But my boss years ago, when Ifirst started on the crisis
team, says, but remember they'rea frequent flyer for a reason.
(22:52):
And obviously, I work in themental health field, but I've
done substance use all that timein Massachusetts.
You don't need necessarily adifferent uh licensure.
And that's where I never likeyou talked about the three the
300 call syndrome.
I call it um they're a frequentflyer for a reason.
(23:13):
And that keeps me from being Idon't know, cynical.
SPEAKER_02 (23:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (23:20):
Lisa's calling again.
SPEAKER_02 (23:22):
Yep.
And it's it's hard to not saythat.
SPEAKER_03 (23:25):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:26):
It's truly hard not to say that.
We're humans.
Yeah, we are.
And I think that's somethingelse that I think the public
needs to remember too, is we arehumans.
SPEAKER_03 (23:35):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:36):
And with the frequent flyers, we have one
recently who's lonely and justwants somebody to talk to.
And I know I had several yearsago, I had a younger dispatcher
who was just rude to an elderlyfemale.
And afterwards I was like, whathappens if that was your
(23:57):
grandmother?
SPEAKER_01 (23:58):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (23:58):
That you know, you have no idea her situation, you
have no idea if she's lonely.
You don't know.
And you could tell he changedhis tune.
Sometimes we're the only peoplethey get to talk to.
SPEAKER_03 (24:14):
That's the experience from the crisis
theme, too.
I I agree with youwholeheartedly.
Yes.
Because there would be a guy, uhuh no longer of this world,
unfortunately, he would call twoto three times.
I worked the day, I worked theovernight and the night like
second shift or the equivalentof second shift sometimes, but
mostly nights.
And he would call and he wouldbe honest, he'd be hi, it's John
(24:37):
Doe.
I'm just lonely.
And I would say to John Doesometimes, John, I'm dealing
with two other things.
I know you're lonely.
Can you call me in like 20minutes?
SPEAKER_02 (24:47):
And he does.
SPEAKER_03 (24:48):
And he does, faithfully.
SPEAKER_02 (24:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (24:49):
And you I talked to him for five minutes, he
wouldn't call for the rest ofthe night because I gave him a
time of day for five minutes.
Those are the little things thatpeople don't know about our
jobs.
And yeah, I give credit wherecredit is due.
What I tell John Doe, call me infive in 20 minutes, he would
call back and sometimes they'dbe like, Oh, I forgot to say
that.
And that's like the human sideof me.
Um, but then you talk to him forfive minutes and you just made
(25:12):
his day.
SPEAKER_01 (25:12):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:13):
Those are different types of frequent flyers, but he
called because he was truly, Iwas his only, well, someone from
the crisis team was his onlycontact all day.
SPEAKER_01 (25:22):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:24):
And I think that that's the other part that
people don't understand about,you know, you screen those out
so that they don't have to gonecessarily for a call.
SPEAKER_01 (25:32):
Yep.
SPEAKER_03 (25:33):
But you do have to deal with that, and that's not
like in the logs or anythinglike that.
SPEAKER_02 (25:38):
So it it actually is in the logs.
Oh, it is?
It is, and but uh that helps usto get our n our call volume to
show our true call volume, notjust the calls for service that
police officers go to.
We do have those calls that usin dispatch have to deal with.
Whether it is somebody pickingup their wallet, some that was
(25:59):
turned in, you know, somebodydropping off a wallet or a phone
that was turned in, whether wehave those frequent flyers, or
whether we have people who arejust downright screaming at us
for God knows what reason,because we have that a lot.
Again, they're frequent flyers,they're just screaming at us
because they're mad at life, andwe're logging those.
(26:23):
So we do log those for the mostpart.
SPEAKER_03 (26:27):
Okay.
Well, the other one that Iwanted to mention, as uh we're
already close to time herealready.
SPEAKER_01 (26:33):
Wow.
SPEAKER_03 (26:34):
Um, I'd love to talk about well, I don't know if I
want to love to talk about it,but I certainly want to bring up
the other hard ones, I think, issuicide.
Having dealt with those on thecrisis team.
Um, obviously different animalthan yours.
I'm not again for anyone wholistens to this show knows I
never take away what I do andsay it's the same as, because
(26:54):
it's not.
On this batch, the unconvenienttruth from a crisis team's
perspective, and this is what II I've observed, they call me
they're suicidal with a plan onon a crisis line.
It doesn't seem as intense aswhen they call you guys.
SPEAKER_02 (27:14):
Most of the time when they call us with a plan,
they they're doing it.
They have the plan to do it.
We do get the calls, you know,the cry for help often.
But we do get those phone callswhere you know they're done.
(27:34):
You know that they're going toattempt to successfully.
SPEAKER_03 (27:38):
Unaligned themselves, yeah.
Those are chilling.
SPEAKER_02 (27:43):
Those are those are difficult.
Um I am thankful to be honestwith you that I haven't had too
many that I, you know, that havestuck with me, that have really
stuck with me.
Um but it's definitely hard whenyou have the family members who
find their loved ones too,because they are either in shock
(28:07):
and completely like dumbfounded,or just speechless, or you have
them hysterically where youcan't understand anything.
SPEAKER_03 (28:21):
And that's the one of the things that I explain to
people is like you can see it onscene and that happens.
But dispatch hears these wallowsfrom deep down inside of
people's hearts that is soundescribable.
And yes, did I have those a fewtimes?
Sure, but not but again, not thesame job.
(28:42):
And it's hard for me to kind tomake people understand that that
deep fear that I'm I'm sofearful, I want to end this, I'm
done with this.
It's hard to really put in wordshow much emotion that brings.
SPEAKER_02 (28:57):
Yeah.
It's you know, I'm not one totear up at work.
Um I actually very rarely do,but sometimes you get that one
call, and after you hang up, yougotta take a breath or you need
to walk away for a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (29:16):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (29:17):
And just kind of think about what just happened.
I mean, you're coming right backto that chair and those phones,
but it's okay for us to walkaway for a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (29:29):
There's so much more I want to ask you.
We didn't even get to substanceuse.
SPEAKER_01 (29:35):
No, we didn't.
SPEAKER_03 (29:35):
We didn't get to any of that.
So what I'm gonna do is I'mgonna end the the this episode
with you, but we're gonna talkon the other side if you don't
mind.
SPEAKER_01 (29:43):
Sure.
SPEAKER_03 (29:43):
Um, but uh thank you.
Thank you.
I want I wanted people to see itfrom a dispatch perspective.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (29:49):
It's forgotten too often, and you know how loyal I
am to you.
So uh love you.
Thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_02 (29:56):
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_03 (29:57):
And uh we'll see you on the other side for the next
episode.
SPEAKER_00 (30:00):
Thank you.
Please like, subscribe, andfollow this podcast on your
favorite platform.
A glowing review is alwayshelpful.
And as a reminder, this podcastis for informational,
educational, and entertainmentpurposes only.
If you're struggling with amental health or substance abuse
issue, please reach out to aprofessional counselor for
(30:21):
consultation.
If you are in a mental healthcrisis, call 988 for assistance.
This number is available in theUnited States and Canada.
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