Good News.

We're finally getting new consoles. After 12 years of the dusty, antiquated bullshit we've been accustomed to, replacement will begin within a few weeks, starting with the PCTs. No word on what the design will look like (of course noone would ask the people who actually have to live with the consoles 24/7/365). But how could it not be an improvement over what we have now?

Bad news

They're replacing consoles during the summer, with a targeted completion date in September. PCO Is will be moved to the 311 building while the PCT consoles are replaced (You think you got parking problems NOW). We foresee a lot more aggravation and frustration in our near future.

Comments not allowed on this post. Anything to say, say it under "Good news." They're related. Simplifies things.

Pretty much.

LEOMemorial writes:

when you're taking calls, is it so busy (and shorthanded) that you have calls waiting for you?

Not 100% of the time. But there are plenty of times in any shift when there are more than five 911 calls are waiting for service, sitting unanswered. The fortunate thing is that most of them are from those damned cell phones that were misdialed. In fact, we don't have hard numbers, but we'd bet that well over 50% of 911 calls don't get sent to zones to be dispatched. That would be mainly due to the high number of idiots who accidentally (or idiot children who purposely) dial 911 with no desire or need for service.

Here's a good laugh, though. The most calls we've seen waiting unanswered totalled 90-plus. We have a picture of the banner board from that time, if anyone can guess when it's from. We won't post it and get caught up on "unauthorized dissemination," but surely all any PCO has to do is wait until this summer to see it for him/herself. There are 4 unanswered calls as of this writing.

We've been hiding, but

This topic brings us out.

Rumor has it that during yesterday's staff meeting, it was decreed that time due is to be denied across the board if anyone is working overtime on a shift.

For those who have more trouble comprehending basic notions and need everything spelled out:

If anyone is working an extension on your shift on tomorrow's date, that time due you put in for 11 months ago will be denied.

If anyone is working his/her RDO on your shift on tomorrow's date, that time due you put in for 11 months ago will be denied.

We can't confirm it - hence the word "rumor." Nor have we seen anything in writing stipulating such. But if it's true, we see a lot of misery in the future, at least more than there already is. Family functions? Fuck 'em. Need the day off because 6 days on-2 days off is wearing on you 3 months after furlough? Fuck it. At this point, you'll be feigning illness if you need the day off. That's the only way you're going to get it.

Okay, okay, you'll be feigning illness more often than you already do.

Surely you all realize that on any given day, on practically all three watches, someone is working overtime in some way, shape, or form. And all of this before the summer's even in full swing. So for them to tell us that time due will be denied if one soul is working on a shift at overtime pay, is basically to tell us that all of our time due is denied well in advance. If you're one of those who have literally hundreds of hours of compensatory time built up, consider thyself shat upon. You now have it for nothing. Indefinitely, or until City Hall hires enough PCOs to fully staff Operations, or until you retire and cash your hours out. We'd bet a whole paycheck on the latter coming first.

We anxiously await the comments that're sure to come on this post. And by the way, we appreciate the way you all have kept the comment sections decent in our absence (although we were still watching the whole time).

We'll see you at work.

Every day.

Absolutely every day.

For a long time.

Someone asked for a new post, here's one.

Anonymous said...

* NEWS FLASH * New Executive Director of OEMC* NEWS FLASH *

Bryan Murphy. Currently 1st Deputy Chief of Staff in Mayor Office