Dispatch sit-alongs

Does your agency allow dispatch sit-alongs? Letting a civilian, a member of the media, a field personnel, or even a potential dispatch candidate sit alongside a Public Safety Telecommunicator for a shift is a great method for sharing what we do. I can describe the various tasks until I run out of breath: showing you how i perform my job is the difference between night and day.

Every agency is different. Some departments are combined law enforcement / fire/ emergency medical services (ems). Others may split duties: one taking law enforcement and the other fire & emergency medical services. Generally, police take the primary role in answering the 9-1-1 lines first at the first (or primary) Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Any calls for fire or ems are then transferred to the secondary PSAP. In some areas, ems may be handled by another dispatch center. Finally, a non-traditional dispatch exists that may not handle 9-1-1 calls but still dispatches law enforcement, fire, or ems units just not 24 hours a day or for other government or private organizations.

Olympic Hockey - Go USA

I have confession to make: I'm an Olympic junkie. I love the Olympics. Sure, I watch all of the sporting events, but when it comes to the Winter Games, ice hockey is my favorite event. Naturally, I have to cheer on Team USA. Joe Pavelski, from the San Jose Sharks, is on the USA squad, and has done a great job representing the red, white & blue. For our neighbor to the north, my favorite NHL player, Patrick Marleau, along with team-mate Marc-Edouard Vlasic, from San Jose have been doing their country proud. I have yet to see Shark's goalie, Antti Niemi suit up for Team Finland.

fan video about USA Hockey team



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIx2d4NgaAI




I have no doubt that Team USA will make it to the gold medal game. The guys have been playing some of the best hockey of the Games. They will play Canada in a semi-final game on Friday while Finland takes on Sweden. The winners will go for gold/silver and he losers for the bronze. Odds are San Jose Players will bring home medals - the question is what color?

In the new ski sport, half-pipe, Nevada Reno local David Wise brought home the gold. How cool is that?



I hope our USA Women's team wins their game and brings home the gold. I was impressed by the Japanese team. Those ladies improved with each game they played and by all rights, each game against the Russian team should have ended 2-2, going to overtime. The problem being that the goal judges couldn't get the referee's attention to have a play reviewed when the puck obviously crossed over the line. Would the Russian team have still won each of the two games? Who knows. It's ironic that the Russians didn't protest those missed calls, huh? I did like the Japanese ladies bowing as part of their goal celebration. A nice, unique, touch and very classy. I'm sure they will be back - providing the Olympic committee decides to bring the ladies back to Seoul. I hope they do.



I was glad we won the pairs ice-dancing. Didn't Charlie & Meryl look so happy? And, did anyone watch that Jamaican bobsled song floating around?



watch the video here:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71JHunY8rI&feature=youtu.be



GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!



stay safe out there!!

Glitter, glitz, and bling: jewelry in the Middle Ages

I love to wear jewelry, silver being my personal favorite. In my cultures, a family’s wealth was held not in a bank but in the form of precious gems and metals. In the ‘higher’ ranking families, along with lands and titles, a bride could bring gold, silver, and jewelry as part of her dowry. In turn, she would expect bling from her husband for significant events through-out her marriage (children, anniversaries, increase in rankings).

What type of jewelry was popular? Which gems were available? Did the fashions resemble anything a woman (or man) might wear today?

Wealth was kept in the form of jewelry, coins, cups, goblets (also called hanaps), plates, boxes, and household decorations.  Candelabras, chalices, crosiers (staffs), vases, and royal jewels were usually special orders. The household goods (plates, goblets, etc.) were decorated with family crests, heraldry, Celtic designs, porcelain, glass, enamel, and/or encrusted with jewels.

ruby and diamond ring

This is hockey? The Calgary Flames verses Vancouver Canucks debacle

January 18th the Calgary Flames played the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena for a televised game on a Saturday Hockey Night in Canada. The  Vancouver home fans had a surprise, for less than two seconds in to the game, after the ref dropped the puck, instead of a good old fashioned hockey match, a brawl broke out. With exception of the goalies, every payer on the ice dropped the gloves while Vancouver's Coach John Tortorella screaming at Calgary's coach, Bob Hartley?

All that was missing was the Hanson Brothers with their aluminum-wrapped hands and coke-bottom glasses. Until the referees sorted out the penalties, the sin bins on both sides were standing room only. Even after the period ended, Tortorella tried to get in the Flames locker room t continue the confrontation. Only the mass of players & staff prevented his entry.

What could cause this ode to 'Slapshot' on ice?

Update on Dispatching book and the Olympics

For those of you who have sent information and/or photos. It's done...more or less. The writing took longer than I anticipated, but I it's worth the wait. I've selected  couple of test readers.

I still hope to go the traditional publication route but with the economy, many publishers have tightened down what they are accepting but I'll self-publish if I need to.

Meanwhile...

The Sochi Olympics starts in a few weeks. A couple of San Jose Sharks players will be in Russia to play for their countries: Joe Pavelski (USA), Antti Niemi (Finland), Patrick Marleau (Canada), and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (Canada). As a San Jose Sharks fan, I feel that Joe Thornton was slighted in not being picked for Team Canada. He is a playmaker and top's the 'Assist's category in the NHL. Joe deserves the chance to play for his country. I know it's a tough decision picking the men to be on the team: so many excellent players to pick from.

Who will win? I want the USA (of course!!). Canada has a fantastic team. The Czech republic and Sweden have strong teams and the home boys are no slouches. It should be fun to watch in any case.


link to Olympic rosters

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=95464&navid=nhl:topheads

stay safe out there