[nfb-talk] Anyone know a blind dispatcher?

[Sherri]

Thanks Mike for your assessment. I would sure love to hear from anyone doing 
the job.

Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Anyone know a blind dispatcher?


> IRIC there was a student who attended the Washington State School for the
> blind many years ago who became an emergency dispatcher somewhere in
> Arizona.  His name is Rick Tally.  As part of his training, he (and all 
> the
> other sighted trainees) were required to take part in figherfighting
> including manning hoses, adjusting the pumps on the engines etc.  I 
> believe
> Rick may have enough sight to handle magnified print although he does use 
> a
> screen-reader in addition, I think.
>
> I thinkJennifer should give dispatching a go.  Realistically, however, she
> will have two problems:  (1) handling the computerized maps and (2)getting
> the information needed to make equipment assignments or determine where
> calls should be routed in timely fashion.  There's anawful lot of
> information that comes at an emergency dispatcher extremely quickly (often
> in the form of diagrams on a computer screen) and life-or-death decisions
> are made on the basis of that information.  I realize that blind persons
> successfully work in call centers but IMO emergency dispatching is at 
> least
> an order of magnitude tougher.  It's not just talking people out of 
> suicide;
> it's trying to figure out how to assign fire equipment when there are
> already three major blazes going down and so the Fire Department is
> short-handed and needs to invoke mutual aide with neighboring fire 
> districts
> or, in a large city, moving equipment between stations to maintain minimal
> coverage.
>
> Mind you, I'm not saying it can't be done; I'm merely opining that 
> Jennifer
> will have a pretty tough row to hoe.
>
> Mike Freeman
> Fire Science and Conflagration History Buff
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Sherri
> Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 9:32 AM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List; blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfb-talk] Anyone know a blind dispatcher?
>
> Having seen no answers on our NFBF list, I am passing this message along.
> Please respond. Thanks very much.
>
> Sherri
>
> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> From: "Jennifer" <chesshery252 at comcast.net>
> Sent: Thursday, February 3, 2011 7:53:02 PM
> Subject: advice
>
>
> Hi Gina, this is Jennifer CHESSHER from the Greater Tallahassee Chapter. 
> I
> am just wondering if you or someone in the FLORIDA Affiliate knows with 
> any
> one who is a nine one one dispatcher and is and who  blind any where? 
> Being
> a nine one one dispatcher has always been what I have wanted to do.  Any
> help that you can give me will be greatly appreciated.  Jennifer CHESSHER
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
>
> Sherri Brun, NFBF Secretary and NewslineR Coordinator Vice-president NFB
> Greater Orlando Chapter Secretary FDCP INC
> E-mail: flmom2006 at gmail.com
> www.nfbnewsline.org
> http://www.nfbflorida.org
> http://nfbfgoc.org
>
> "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." John
> Lennon
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org