Jumpline MAG_Winter 2026 - Flipbook - Page 21
Erika Cantillo
Dispatch Supervisor
Dispatcher’s Corner
Headsets to Helmets,
Working as One
It’s 0300 hours. The tones drop, and Station Alerting (the
system we refer to as “Siri)” begins speaking, preparing us for
what’s next. The voice of a dispatcher delivers every pertinent
detail for the call to service. That dispatcher is at the end of
a double shift, pulling you out of bed for the third time after
midnight to serve the people of Miami-Dade County. At this
hour, fatigue sets in on both sides of the radio, but the mission remains the same: to work together, ensuring every “T”
is crossed and every “I” is dotted, so that the people of Miami-Dade County receive the very best of us.
Whether it’s calling back for more information to help locate a patient or coordinating with responding units rendering care in
the 昀椀eld, we must operate as one, because
regardless of the time, our coordination is
what keeps the county safe.
The Fire Alarm Of昀椀ce (FAO) is truly a world of its own, the
nucleus of the department where every call begins. When you
enter the FAO, you’re met with a dark room operating at a
steady, fast, and constant pace unlike any other. Behind every call that drops is a dispatcher who must balance precision
with compassion, urgency with calm. We work in the glow of
computer screens, guided by training, instinct, and the of昀椀cers
on the other side of the radio. But even with all that connection, there’s a distance, a silent wall, separating dispatchers
from the 昀椀eld. They see the 昀氀ames, the chaos, and the faces
of those we can only hear. We hear their exhaustion, their urgency, their focus, but not always the person behind the radio.
That separation has had a lasting impact on morale over time.
Dispatchers working long or double shifts can sometimes
feel the unseen, the invisible lifeline who often goes unnoticed
until something goes wrong. The question that sometimes
echoes in our minds is, “Why am I going on this call?” Yet de-
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spite the fatigue or frustration, the next
call drops, and the dispatcher is right
back in action. What’s often missed
is that the same dispatcher may still
be processing the last call while three
more are already waiting. That is the
reality of the FAO, always ready for
the next call. While the FAO and the
昀椀eld will always operate from different
spaces, our success depends on how
well we understand one another. Too often, the distance between the consoles and the 昀椀eld becomes more than physical.
When that happens, morale suffers. It doesn’t have to stay that
way. Building stronger connections starts with small steps that
remind us that, at our core, we are all working toward one mission: to serve the people of Miami-Dade County. Let’s return
to 昀椀eld personnel taking the time to sit with dispatchers to see
the constant pace and great accuracy that happens behind the
scenes. To hear how quickly information must be processed,
and how the smallest details can shape a response. That perspective creates understanding and respect, both of which
build trust.
On the other side, dispatchers can step out from behind the
consoles and into the 昀椀eld and utilize the ride-along program
to experience the challenges and pressures responders face in
real time. Seeing what it’s like when the call we just dispatched
turns into a moment that can change someone’s life. That
shared perspective builds empathy, and empathy strengthens morale. These are simple human gestures, but they carry
great weight. Sitting together, learning from one another, and
extending grace in moments when tension can easily rise. All
of it adds up to something bigger: UNDERSTANDING. We owe
it to each other, and to the people we serve, to bridge that gap.
Whether you’re under the headset or in bunker gear on the
front lines, we move to the same heartbeat; one of service,
pride, and humility for the people of Miami-Dade County.
Morale grows through understanding and
shared purpose. Every radio call, every patient update, every moment of patience adds
up to how we serve.
Let’s make the effort to get to know one another, to sit together, to ride along, and to listen. Those small steps build
large, strong bridges. Such bridges can only be built together
on a foundation of understanding. At the end of the day, we are
one department with one mission: to serve Miami-Dade County
with pride, professionalism, and compassion.
Winter 2025 | JUMPLINE Magazine
