[nfb-talk] Anyone know a blind dispatcher?

[Mike Freeman]

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

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