Multi-Disciplinary Dispatcher WCCCA (Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency) Cornelius, Oregon
0300 hours. On a Saturday night in July. You have one partner in dispatch and two units on duty for the whole county. An otherwise q-word night turns into a subject armed with a shotgun firing all along your downtown area, eventually stopping in front of your windows. You go from hearing the shots through the radio to hearing the shots right outside. "He's cutting up the back ramp to dispatch" comes through your headset and you start praying that back door with the faulty lock has been fixed. This is nothing like the active shooter scenario you trained for.
Learning Objectives:
At the culmination of this presentation, participants will be able to re-evaluate what they think they know about active shooter situations and how they would handle being on lockdown.
At the culmination of this presentation, participants will be able to identify ways they can overcome roadblocks to the challenges they face under the headset, and can learn how to be more adaptable on the fly.
At the culmination of this presentation, participants will have an understanding of why being aware of the mental health of themselves, their partners, and their units is an essential part of their long-term well being, and will hopefully be able to identify and implement their own strategies for stress mitigation in a variety of settings and circumstances.
