On Calls

If you are like me, before I met JR, I had this idea that if you phone 9-1-1 that the cops come, lights a-blazing', and in a jiffy too.

This is not the case in most instances.

The majority of calls that come in are not high priority calls. There are a lot of other issues that get funneled through the 9-1-1 system. Fender benders, parenting issues, dead animals on the road, and noise complaints are just a few example of often fairly low priorities. Accident reports don't need to be filed in the middle of the night so its often a matter of arranging an appropriate time to deal with something or if it needs to be dealt with at all.

To better manage police resources, unless it is a priority 1 call ( you know, like bank robbers with guns) more often then not JR calls the complainant before attending the call.

This is especially applicable in the hours after JR logs off night shift and is on call til Day Shift comes on. JR receives extra "on call" pay for those hours he is at home, but if he has to attend a call, no matter how long he is out he is paid for 3 hours at time and a half.

So this is a cost saving measure as well.

Due to this protocol of handling things I've heard many one-sided conversations from JR as he's been calling back from our home.

Last night I had the pleasure of listening to JR try to communicate with an Intoxicated person on the phone. Those are almost always the most amusing. It makes up for the 4am wake up call.

Well, now you know what I know.