First day at APCO

Today I went to two sessions: Imagine Listening - Your Worst Day is My Everyday and The Voices Behind the Incident: A Discussion  Panel With the Dispatchers Involved in the Las Vegas Shooting.

Imagine Listening was put n my Ricardo Martinez II, the man behind the IAM911 movement. He has a podcast focusing on Public Safety Telecommunicators that is a must hear for anyone wanting to know what our job is truly about. Some of the stories are heart-breaking, some funny, and some just make your cringe. Today he played some audio and then invited the audience to share stories.

Many of us left the session with wet eyes. It was very emotional.

So what did I go to next? The Las Vegas Fire Communications Center panel discussion. WOW! They started out by playing a montage of 911 calls accompanied by video footage. The room was dead quiet as a packed Ballroom of Dispatchers watched and listened. Then the Dispatchers stood up one-by-one and shared their take on the night's event and how they have coped since then. Each one received a raucous round of applause and a standing ovation at the end. To hear about what they handled in that short amount of time was crazy.

I left the conference after that to meet with my son and daughter-in-law. We spent a nice afternoon at the Lion Habitat Ranch. Then we went out to lunch. Denise wanted to check out Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum. We went ahead and took the tour. I have to admit, there were a few parts of that tour that truly creeped me out.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are full days. The vendor area open up and I have a request to bring back swag.

For any of you at APCO reading this, I have signed copies of the Dispatching History book with me. Find me and say hello. Maybe you'll walk away with a free book!

Stay safe out there!

The long drive to Vegas

I made the drive in a decent amount of time. Wanting to avoid the traffic, I left at o'dark thirty from Reno. It didn't matter. I still hit traffic. Once the sun rose, and I left Washoe County, the traffic thinned out.

Darn, the smoke from the multiple fires was bad. It made for a gorgeous sunrise but it didn't clear until I passed Tonopah. I put in a CD to practice my private karaoke skills. after a while, I flipped on the Sirius Music classic rock. The view was nice: lots of mustangs and later, some burros, and some amazing scenery. Thankfully, I didn't see any suicidal critters on the road.

No accidents and minor constructions kept me going steady. I made a few pit stops to top-off the tank in Yerington, Tonopah, and Death Valley (I wandered around the famous candy store but left empty handed). I finally broke down in Beatty and turned on the air-conditioning for a bit when I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck.

Tomorrow is check-in day but I mostly have it to myself. I will be taking pictures and posting them daily.

Stay safe out there!

Why I'm not driving to Las Vegas for APCO's conference

It’s less than a week to APCO. I’ve two more shifts left to work and I can’t wait to get out of town. The smart person would fly to Las Vegas from Reno but not me. Nope. I’m driving. So, you ask, why would I cram myself into a car for seven to eight hours in the summer heat instead of a short 1.3 hour flight?

Why indeed…well, I’ll tell you.

Our business: action figures and hand-made pens

Are you looking for actions figures? We have 'ems. Star Wars Lord of the rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Game of Thrones we have are wide variety of action figures available.

SD Curiosities: July focus on nautical collectibles and the Shark Dart

This month I want to focus on some of the fun items we have for sale. July is the hottest month of the year in Reno so we like to think of any way we can to cool off. Naturally, getting wet takes off the heat which makes me think of swimming and nautical related items.

The jewel in our collection is a mannikin completely tricked out in vintage dive gear including gear similar to that used by Jacques Cousteau. This is a package deal which includes the mannikin, the dive gear and a Shark Dart. In the early days of the NASA Space program, when the capsules splashed down, the Navy Divers would help evacuate the Astronauts. To keep away any curious sharks, the divers carried a weapon called the Shark Dart. The tip had an explosive charge which went off on contact. You can see the divers holding the SD in photos and old films. This device is banned in several countries. We also have vintage dive fins and a mask.

For those who enjoy the sights of the coast, we have a large selection of lighthouses. Some of the figures are brand name figures and others are generic, but still nice pieces. For example: we have a Cheryl Spencer Collins lighthouse and several Spoontiques. We also have a set of four mini Harbor Lights lighthouses.

Do you like ships? How about a beautiful glass paperweight in the form of a ship? We have nautical weather gauges. And for you swashbucklers, a pirate shot glass. Oh, let's not forget a couple of different Pirates of the Caribbean action figures.

So, next time you are in Reno, come check out our offerings.

Our both is: Sd Curiosities
We're at Sierra Antiques and Treasures (a mall without walls)
151 N Sierra Street
Reno, NV 89501

Until next time,

Stay safe out there!

Getting involved as a Dispatcher

Are you looking for something more out of your career as a Public Safety Dispatcher / Telecommunicator? At some point in our jobs, many of us reached the same plateau. We wanted more but weren't sure what we wanted or how to get it.

Volunteering is a great way to connect to ours of a like mind. No doubt you're either helped out in other areas before or know of someone who has. For example, maybe a family member or friend is involved with Special Olympics, the local animal shelter, or the Red Cross but that's not right quite for you.

APCO Conference 2018 is just around the corner!

Look out Las Vegas, you will soon be surrounded by Telecommunicators, Radio Technicians, and Vendors associated with the Public Safety communications industry! August 5-8 is the 84th annual International Conference. There is only four days left to purchase tickets.

Go to the official conference link for more information:

https://www.apco2018.org/


I'll be there and pending a wi-fi connection will try to post daily updates and (hopefully) some pictures.

Wild & Crazy Dispatchers roaming Vegas? Uh-oh. The meows will be off the charts! Let's hope I don't end up on LIVE PD when enroute to LV from Reno (lol). I'll remember to at least smile for those cameras.

Anyone want a signed copy of my dispatcher book, like my blog and post a comment IF you are attending ? I'm bringing some with me to the conference.

Until August,

Stay safe and MEOW to my Game Warden LEOs.