New Name, Same Commitment to Providing World-Class Products
A New Name and a New Look
Formerly Watson Dispatch, our brand update is an extension of our renewed commitment to exemplary product design, manufacturing, and customer care. Visit watsonconsoles.com and take a tour. If you are familiar with Watson, read on to meet the team and learn about some of the changes we’re making. If you are new to Watson, dive in. We bet you’ll like what you discover.
Compassion Fatigue and 9-1-1 (infographic)
Compassion fatigue affects as many as eight out of ten 911 dispatchers. Repeated exposure to second hand trauma while fielding emergency calls can take a toll on mental, emotional, and physical health.
The Power of Resilience: How to Thrive as a 9-1-1 Dispatch Professional
Why do some people thrive in the midst of daily challenges while others get taken out? Why can some people tolerate a tremendous amount of stress and others get sick? Resilience.
NEAT Changes Get Big Results (Infographic)
Sitting for long periods stresses your joints, promotes back pain, reduces circulation, and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. If you are a PSAP dispatcher, or part of the 100 million+ Americans that work at a desk every day, you have a little extra work to do to keep your health on track. The good news is that increasing your NEAT can significantly improve your health. You might be wondering, “What is NEAT?”
Congratulations 2017 APCO Award Honorees
Each year APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Professionals) recognizes outstanding contributions within the PSAP community. This year they received more than 275 nominations in nine categories. We extend a special congratulations to our friends at Kitsap 9-1-1 and Pennington County 9-1-1. Their leadership and the dedication of their teams contributed to outstanding center performance. The winners will be officially recognized during the Opening General Session at APCO 2017, August 13-16 in Denver, CO.
Bring the Outdoors in and Reduce Stress in Your PSAP
Communications team leaders experience some common pain points directly related to workspace impact on employee satisfaction. In a previously published blog, How the Best Comm Centers Motivate Their Front-Line Employees, Adam Timm discusses the negative impact of dissatisfaction on operations and suggests ways to change the tide. However, not all change has to happen at once. There are small adjustments that will positively affect how people feel about being at work and support a healthy office environment.
Germ Warfare: Do Antimicrobial Laminates Promote a Healthy PSAP?
Right now, PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) along with the entire global population are concerned with COVID19 and the effects it has on their ability to work. Even team members who are diligent about washing hands and dosing Zinc and C, the invisible contaminates they are exposed to at shift changes can derail their well-tuned health practices.
Communications center managers know a healthy workplace helps keep the team in-tact and operations running smoothly. Now more than ever, furniture manufactures need to discuss the interest behind materials used to make dispatch furniture consoles, like anti-microbial laminates, and if they can actually help thwart the spread of sickness.
The Right Console Promotes User Focus. Does Yours?
From June 3-8, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) will host their annual conference and expo. This is your chance to learn why your console workstation choice is an important building block for a high performance PSAP. This crucial support tool is worth checking out and here’s why…
Is Recycling Right for Your 911 or Operations Center?
In the spirit of Earth Day (belated), the Watson Consoles team participated in the second Watson dumpster dive. We learned that simple improvements to our disposal habits will have high impact on both the bottom line and the health of the oceans, streams and forests we love. Our findings might inspire you to think about your trash differently, too.
The Dispatch Console Treadmill: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
As our collective pursuit of ever healthier work environments carries on, I wanted to take a moment and summarize Watson’s perspective and learnings on the controversial topic of treadmills at your dispatch console. Since the early 90’s, we have designed our products to encourage healthy lifestyles and adopted many of the best practices as part of our core culture and it came as a surprise to many that we took a skeptical (and practical) stance on the dispatch console treadmill concept.
Best Heating & Cooling Options for Dispatch Consoles
If you work in a PSAP you know all about the battle of the thermostat. There is a regular struggle between the folks that are too hot and the ones that are too cold. Environmental controls that regulate cool air flow and heat are the best solution for keeping front line emergency dispatchers comfortable and actively focused during shift work. Let’s take a quick look at the options available, the applications, and important things to keep in mind about environmental controls when purchasing new consoles.