JBE

Good times all around. I was on the pier just south of the Intrepid for my pictures. I was filming some of it for my cousins son, and explaining what each boat was. My girlfriend says to me, "Who are you talking to??" as I shut the camera off. Kinda funny. I ended up buffing the 3rd with them, but by the time I got down there, not much to see other than rigs.

Much ado about nothing.

When you first get on, it's 4 weeks of training. Then onto the platform for a few months of 1100X2300, working the same chart as the rest of us. 4 on, 4off, 4 on, 4 off, 4 on, 5 off. Then you go back for radio and Voice Alarm Training, then back out to 11X23, then Decision Dispatcher Training, then back to 11X23 until the brass says you can go to 07X19/19X07. I will tell you all now, be prepared for a commute to Downtown Brooklyn. Manhattan, Brooklyn, and SI are all located in the same building. You may or may not get the Bronx or Queens out of Probie School.
I wish you all the best of luck. But I warn you all now. If you get on, do not expect to be treated differently because you are a Volunteer whatever. Do not go into my job thinking you're going to be better than anyone else because you have experience in the fire service. I came in with that "I am a buff" attitude, and I paid for it dearly.
Do not expect special treatment because you know someone on the job. I would rather take someone who knows nothing about the fire service, or very little about the fire service, because I can mold you into what the job wants you to be. You will pay your dues, and it will make you a better dispatcher, and hopefully a better person.

When you first get on, it's 4 weeks of training. Then onto the platform for a few months of 1100X2300, working the same chart as the rest of us. 4 on, 4off, 4 on, 4 off, 4 on, 5 off. Then you go back for radio and Voice Alarm Training, then back out to 11X23, then Decision Dispatcher Training, then back to 11X23 until the brass says you can go to 07X19/19X07. I will tell you all now, be prepared for a commute to Downtown Brooklyn. Manhattan, Brooklyn, and SI are all located in the same building. You may or may not get the Bronx or Queens out of Probie School.
I wish you all the best of luck. But I warn you all now. If you get on, do not expect to be treated differently because you are a Volunteer whatever. Do not go into my job thinking you're going to be better than anyone else because you have experience in the fire service. I came in with that "I am a buff" attitude, and I paid for it dearly.
Do not expect special treatment because you know someone on the job. I would rather take someone who knows nothing about the fire service, or very little about the fire service, because I can mold you into what the job wants you to be. You will pay your dues, and it will make you a better dispatcher, and hopefully a better person.

When you first get on, it's 4 weeks of training. Then onto the platform for a few months of 1100X2300, working the same chart as the rest of us. 4 on, 4off, 4 on, 4 off, 4 on, 5 off. Then you go back for radio and Voice Alarm Training, then back out to 11X23, then Decision Dispatcher Training, then back to 11X23 until the brass says you can go to 07X19/19X07. I will tell you all now, be prepared for a commute to Downtown Brooklyn. Manhattan, Brooklyn, and SI are all located in the same building. You may or may not get the Bronx or Queens out of Probie School.
I wish you all the best of luck. But I warn you all now. If you get on, do not expect to be treated differently because you are a Volunteer whatever. Do not go into my job thinking you're going to be better than anyone else because you have experience in the fire service. I came in with that "I am a buff" attitude, and I paid for it dearly.
Do not expect special treatment because you know someone on the job. I would rather take someone who knows nothing about the fire service, or very little about the fire service, because I can mold you into what the job wants you to be. You will pay your dues, and it will make you a better dispatcher, and hopefully a better person.

As the Blue Lanterns say, "Look to the Stars, for Hope Burns Bright."

Understood, although I think there's a little apples and oranges going on between my workplace and yours.

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

They still conference us in, but we still send the tickets out before, and give the rest of the info after we are done talking to the caller. It is part of the plan, get you guys out the door with half a$$ed information, in the false belief we are getting you out faster. This was started by the pre-release program in the end of 08/beginning of 09, and has morphed into what you got today.
I am about to say something that may upset a few people. Firefighters are very simple creatures, all they need in NYC is a Box Number, and Address, Cross Streets, and what you're going to. Smoke 3rd Floor, Caller 3D. Stuck Elevator 19th Floor. They don't need Male Caller Ray CB 347-XXX-XXXX States he might be stuck in elevator and has asthma. Once again the difference between us and our NYPD Counterparts on the other side of 11 Metrotech. Oh yeah, CIDS helps too, but I'm sticking to the basics here.

And Rob, just to add. That article is a total sham. That system took years for them to get working. It's not as great as the city makes it out to be. It may work well at 60 Control, or at Putnam 911, but I personally don't like it. It only has a few advantages to it that I have seen in three years working it. The phone system is the only thing that all three agencies are using. And, I don't think the EMS Calltakers are using the new phone system. We aren't working on the same technology. It cost millions to develop a link that we could get stuff directly from PD. The Starfire CAD is pushing 40, the NYPD CAD is almost as old, and I think EMS CAD is maybe 10 or 15 years old. The phone mapping program is a nice touch. That's about it. Downtown has already used the phone system to stick it to my co workers, because we can see who is taking calls, and who is supposedly not answering.
Yes, there are some advantages to us being on the same floor, like if I have an issue with something or someone over at EMS, or vice versa, I can go over and talk to them face to face. And it's not far for me to go if I have to deal with someone from PD, although that might get me in trouble. Don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Bloomberg or the many people who shill for him. Including Commissioners Kelly and Cassano(who, btw, does not like dispatchers and lied to the City Council in 2009 that the unified call taker system worked.)

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

They still conference us in, but we still send the tickets out before, and give the rest of the info after we are done talking to the caller. It is part of the plan, get you guys out the door with half a$$ed information, in the false belief we are getting you out faster. This was started by the pre-release program in the end of 08/beginning of 09, and has morphed into what you got today.
I am about to say something that may upset a few people. Firefighters are very simple creatures, all they need in NYC is a Box Number, and Address, Cross Streets, and what you're going to. Smoke 3rd Floor, Caller 3D. Stuck Elevator 19th Floor. They don't need Male Caller Ray CB 347-XXX-XXXX States he might be stuck in elevator and has asthma. Once again the difference between us and our NYPD Counterparts on the other side of 11 Metrotech. Oh yeah, CIDS helps too, but I'm sticking to the basics here.

And Rob, just to add. That article is a total sham. That system took years for them to get working. It's not as great as the city makes it out to be. It may work well at 60 Control, or at Putnam 911, but I personally don't like it. It only has a few advantages to it that I have seen in three years working it. The phone system is the only thing that all three agencies are using. And, I don't think the EMS Calltakers are using the new phone system. We aren't working on the same technology. It cost millions to develop a link that we could get stuff directly from PD. The Starfire CAD is pushing 40, the NYPD CAD is almost as old, and I think EMS CAD is maybe 10 or 15 years old. The phone mapping program is a nice touch. That's about it. Downtown has already used the phone system to stick it to my co workers, because we can see who is taking calls, and who is supposedly not answering.
Yes, there are some advantages to us being on the same floor, like if I have an issue with something or someone over at EMS, or vice versa, I can go over and talk to them face to face. And it's not far for me to go if I have to deal with someone from PD, although that might get me in trouble. Don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Bloomberg or the many people who shill for him. Including Commissioners Kelly and Cassano(who, btw, does not like dispatchers and lied to the City Council in 2009 that the unified call taker system worked.)

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

There are more than a few problems with the NYPD system. The dispatchers/call takers are underpaid and over worked. But there are other problems. One poster mentioned a call taker not knowing where 233 street was, the problem with that is you have to know if it is East 233 or West 233 St. The computer will not accept it without the correct prefix.
The calls are not borough specific, a call from the Bronx does not get answered by a Bronx dispatcher, it gets answered by the next console thatis up. This person may not be familiar with the area. The call taker may be born and raised in Queens and may have never been to Bronx, and would have no idea that 233 needs a E or W. I am using 233 and the Bronx as an example, but there are other similar problems in other boroughs.
Take some of the streets in Manhattan, the numbered streets need an E or W, depending on which side of 5 ave. it is on.There is only one 58 St and Broadway, but the computer will only take W 58 and Broadway. But, go to Brooklyn, some of those streets may sound like Manhattan streets, you can have 58 Street and 3 ave and there is no E or W. for that street. If the dispatcher was not familiar with Brooklyn, they may think that the caller is in Manhattan and assume they are at E 58 Street and 3 Ave on the eastside, but that is not the case. But then there are some numbered streets in Brooklyn that do have E or W prefixes.
Confused about NYC? Lets not even talk about Queens, is it 79 St, 79 Ave, or 79 Pl?
If you get a caller that is not specific, and you get a dispatcher that is not familiar with the area, you can see what could happen.
If it is a landline phone, ani-ali will give the location and the problems are not as big.
This is only part of the problem. The system is broke and has been for a while.

grumpy, we've been getting that too. Just calls coming in with nothing but a location and a PD 10-Code. I will give one that I had to laugh about. Because, to PD, EVERYTHING is a haz mat job. Comes over as a haz mat incident. Strong smell coming from a dumpster. It's 85 degrees at 1030 in the morning with 53% humidity. HOT GARBAGE!!!! One I didn't laugh about, and actually made the papers. Water condition, basement apartment. Truck company comes in, "Get us an Engine and EMS, her water broke, she's having a baby."

grumpy, we've been getting that too. Just calls coming in with nothing but a location and a PD 10-Code. I will give one that I had to laugh about. Because, to PD, EVERYTHING is a haz mat job. Comes over as a haz mat incident. Strong smell coming from a dumpster. It's 85 degrees at 1030 in the morning with 53% humidity. HOT GARBAGE!!!! One I didn't laugh about, and actually made the papers. Water condition, basement apartment. Truck company comes in, "Get us an Engine and EMS, her water broke, she's having a baby."

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

And Rob, just to add. That article is a total sham. That system took years for them to get working. It's not as great as the city makes it out to be. It may work well at 60 Control, or at Putnam 911, but I personally don't like it. It only has a few advantages to it that I have seen in three years working it. The phone system is the only thing that all three agencies are using. And, I don't think the EMS Calltakers are using the new phone system. We aren't working on the same technology. It cost millions to develop a link that we could get stuff directly from PD. The Starfire CAD is pushing 40, the NYPD CAD is almost as old, and I think EMS CAD is maybe 10 or 15 years old. The phone mapping program is a nice touch. That's about it. Downtown has already used the phone system to stick it to my co workers, because we can see who is taking calls, and who is supposedly not answering.
Yes, there are some advantages to us being on the same floor, like if I have an issue with something or someone over at EMS, or vice versa, I can go over and talk to them face to face. And it's not far for me to go if I have to deal with someone from PD, although that might get me in trouble. Don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Bloomberg or the many people who shill for him. Including Commissioners Kelly and Cassano(who, btw, does not like dispatchers and lied to the City Council in 2009 that the unified call taker system worked.)

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

grumpy, we've been getting that too. Just calls coming in with nothing but a location and a PD 10-Code. I will give one that I had to laugh about. Because, to PD, EVERYTHING is a haz mat job. Comes over as a haz mat incident. Strong smell coming from a dumpster. It's 85 degrees at 1030 in the morning with 53% humidity. HOT GARBAGE!!!! One I didn't laugh about, and actually made the papers. Water condition, basement apartment. Truck company comes in, "Get us an Engine and EMS, her water broke, she's having a baby."

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

grumpy, we've been getting that too. Just calls coming in with nothing but a location and a PD 10-Code. I will give one that I had to laugh about. Because, to PD, EVERYTHING is a haz mat job. Comes over as a haz mat incident. Strong smell coming from a dumpster. It's 85 degrees at 1030 in the morning with 53% humidity. HOT GARBAGE!!!! One I didn't laugh about, and actually made the papers. Water condition, basement apartment. Truck company comes in, "Get us an Engine and EMS, her water broke, she's having a baby."

And Rob, just to add. That article is a total sham. That system took years for them to get working. It's not as great as the city makes it out to be. It may work well at 60 Control, or at Putnam 911, but I personally don't like it. It only has a few advantages to it that I have seen in three years working it. The phone system is the only thing that all three agencies are using. And, I don't think the EMS Calltakers are using the new phone system. We aren't working on the same technology. It cost millions to develop a link that we could get stuff directly from PD. The Starfire CAD is pushing 40, the NYPD CAD is almost as old, and I think EMS CAD is maybe 10 or 15 years old. The phone mapping program is a nice touch. That's about it. Downtown has already used the phone system to stick it to my co workers, because we can see who is taking calls, and who is supposedly not answering.
Yes, there are some advantages to us being on the same floor, like if I have an issue with something or someone over at EMS, or vice versa, I can go over and talk to them face to face. And it's not far for me to go if I have to deal with someone from PD, although that might get me in trouble. Don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Bloomberg or the many people who shill for him. Including Commissioners Kelly and Cassano(who, btw, does not like dispatchers and lied to the City Council in 2009 that the unified call taker system worked.)

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.