Safety Made Simple Blog

Celebrating the Successes of Dispatch

When I was a 911 director, I sat in on many interviews for candidates wanting to be hired as dispatchers. One of the questions we always asked of them was “Why do you want to work here?” You could probably guess the most common answer to that question: “Because I want to make a difference.” […]

The Reality of Leadership: Beyond “Lonely at the Top”

You’ve dreamed about it. You’ve worked toward it. You understood that achieving it, meant that you needed to BE it, before actually having the title. Finally… You did everything right. You reached the highest level in your profession that you can achieve, the top rung of the ladder, you are “the boss”.  As you stand […]

Small Changes That Make a Big Impact

It seems that we are inundated with wellness tips for dispatchers these days, and for good reason. Dispatchers prioritize work over their own health way too often. While it is an understandable affliction (after all, 911 can become an addiction that keeps us coming back for years), it comes at a heavy cost. If you […]

Workplace Bullying in the PSAP: A Toxic Issue to Address

Bullying is not a new phenomenon, in fact, founded in 2006, the month of October was dedicated to National Bullying Prevention by the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Workplace bullying is also not a new phenomenon and one would think that in our high-stress environment of public safety, that we would be able to hire […]

Lateral Hires

It’s not unusual to advertise with the vision of hiring an experienced person into the public safety environment.  I’ve seen groups of police chiefs and PSAP Directors send verbal jabs at each other for stealing prized employees.  Most of the jabs were said in jest, some were not.  Why do employees leave one agency and […]

Reflections on the Healing Wall

Not too long ago, I visited the Healing Wall, a three-quarter size replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, commonly referred to as The Wall. I needed to go. I was connected to it indirectly through my friend David O. Chung. When I met David, known better as Doc (for his initials), I didn’t […]

What does resilience have to do with 911 Mental Health

What does resilience have to do with 911 Mental Health Cherie Bartram The recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD or sometimes referred to as PTS) and mental health resilience has been a slow process in the United States. This issue first came to light with the return of soldiers in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904.  […]

Public safety – Retirement Chat

Over the years retirement and retirement options have shifted, a statement that might leave you with a thought like, YEESS!  Counting down the days might be the words coming out of your mouth.  When I first started full-time work in public safety in 9-1-1,  I picked the field for work because it was stable with […]

Summer Time Wellness

Summer is my favorite season.  I love waking each morning to the orange hazy sun peeking over the horizon and the birds singing their summer songs.  I enjoy the heat of each day, when the sun turns to a brilliant yellow, warming your (sunscreen-covered) skin, and increasing the enthusiasm you experience when you take a […]

Understanding and Coping with Secondhand Trauma

Secondhand trauma, also known as secondary trauma or vicarious trauma, occurs when individuals are indirectly exposed to the traumatic experiences of others. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent among professionals such as therapists, emergency dispatchers, and first responders who are regularly exposed to the distressing experiences of those they assist. Understanding the effects of secondhand trauma […]