Fire Dispatcher of Excellence Ginger Ward

Ginger has been a dispatcher for just shy of 29 years and just recently retired.  She spent most of those years as a fire dispatcher.  She was one of the best we have ever had.  She was a professional in all senses of the position and made our job easier on the working end.  If you needed it, she usually already had it on the way.  She worked through storms, some heartbreaking calls, and some of the most challenging we ever had.  And her knowing the members on the scene increased the emotional toll.  It's like the saying "you don't know what you have until it's gone."  She will be greatly missed.  This podcast discusses dispatch in general, such as the training, some newer technologies, and most important Ginger's career.  Give it a listen.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 2:15

Okay, well, welcome back to another episode of Tales from the Smoke. We're kind of changing tactics here and kind of what we're talking about. And uh this time we're we have Ginger Ward on here with us. Ginger's been a dispatcher for what 29 years? Almost 29? When did you start? 96? Is that 97? 97?

unknown 2:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:34

Ginger's been one of the most uh our favorite dispatchers down there, one of them, and one of the best ones I think we've ever had. And and really, like the whole job is just loved her and appreciated what she did for us down there, and and I don't think really anybody even thinks about that on the job until it's over until you lose a really good one. So we brought it on here this kind of episode, more talking about kind of the dispatch and what goes into that, maybe gives us a different appreciation for dispatchers and what they go through, what they're thinking, how we can help them out, and maybe just some maybe different technologies that they have now that we could actually that could benefit us on the truck. So anyway, Ginger, welcome. I've got it's me and Chad Meyer today. And uh anyway, we're just gonna find out everything about Ginger and her career and everything about dispatch.

SPEAKER_05 3:24

So well, it's exciting. Thank you for being here. You know, I think it's I would venture to say it's rare whenever you have a relationship, especially on a department our size, with the dispatcher where you're as close with that individual as the job is with you. And, you know, we throw the legend word around in the fire service a lot. It's typically reserved to fire personnel. You're a true legend on the Tulsa Fire Department uh through the way that you've aided us and allowed us to be set up for success from the very beginning throughout the incidents. Your level of expertise and knowledge of what was going on on the fire ground helped us time and time again. And you know, I've I've told you personally, I can't count on both hands how many times I've called Ginger Ward on the radio and said, I need something, and she says they're already on their way. I've already got it coming, I've already handled that problem for you. And it was you were an extension of our crew. So if I had four guys on my truck, if you were dispatching, I had five. And I had one that was very, very knowledgeable. And I can't thank you enough for it. And Chief's right, you know, you take things for granted until you lose them. So the other testament to how you were as a professional is the way it made all of us feel when you retired. You know, we were happy for you, and we were like, wow, this is the end of an era. We are losing something that we can't replace. Um, so it's gonna take another individual that believes in what they do to the level that you did, and then what, 27 years for them to get to where you are. So me and you, Chief, we won't see that again in our career, uh, but we're thankful that you took time to come and talk to us today. Uh, we we absolutely love you and the job loves you. And you know, our dispatch isn't run through the fire department, it's a city position, but you became a member of the Tulsa Fire Department uh through the years, and so you know, when you left, we lost a member of the Tulsa Fire Department, not a member of you know, Tulsa Dispatch Center.

SPEAKER_06 5:39

I agree. I think and you said it right. I think we expect all our members to be forward thinkers. And that's what you are on the other side. I mean, obviously, you knew our job, you knew the insides out. Obviously, you're married to one of our legends we want to call on the job, Mike Ward. Absolutely, uh probably one of our best captains we have on the job. And but to understand what we need, where we're going, even the job and the ins and outs, being such a forward thinking or helping us, it's invaluable. And again, until you lose that, you don't realize what that is. So anyway, Ginger, thank you for being here. Uh you want to give an introduction of any of your things?

SPEAKER_02 6:14

Thank you guys. I mean, yeah, the love is whoo, it's strong for you guys, all of you in the field. Um, whew, that was the hardest. The hardest part of leaving um was you guys. Um it was time to go. Um and uh some things have came up in the two months since I left that um have kind of um shown me some health issues with my mom and and uh made me realize it was the time, it was the right time, um, but definitely difficult. Um but uh yeah, on that note, um you know, it's unfortunate that uh Tulsa Dispatch is no longer ran by the fire department. Um it started with firemen. Firemen were our original dispatchers. Um that cool fire museum building that we have was our, you know, it was the 911 of its time, right? It was our alarm building. It was called that because of the alarm boxes that sat on the corners. They got fed, those signals got fed in that building, and those were firefighters initially that were running that. Um, and then eventually um we got away from that and you know, for a long time it was still ran by the fire department, and then you know, now it's all up under the police department, and it just is not the same because you don't, you know, you're not the same family um of you know firefighters and stuff that you were even when they were no longer firefighters, no one longer sworn. Um they were still, you know, part of the fire department, and it was still more of that family atmosphere. So I did get to work with some of those, you know, legends that worked, you know, under the fire department. So I did get kind of uh I was lucky because I kind of learned, you know, that really, you know, you should try to continue that family, you know, feeling and and try to, you know, continue those relationships with the guys and the girls in the field because it's important. So um, and then of course having, you know, being married to somebody, you know, kind of helped with that. But then I had tons of, you know, friends on the job. And so just all those relationships really um kind of helped me learn and and get to where I was eventually, you know, as a dispatcher.

SPEAKER_05 8:36

Well, you took ownership in b being a member of our department, you know. You you owned your job in in every way. You know, there was countless times where y you would do more than you were required to do, and you would probably do more than you were supposed to do. And that's because you owned it. You know, you seen a problem and and you worked to fix it and you made yourself part of the family. Being married to Captain Ward, I'm sure helped. Um but you believe in what you do, you know, and it was just so apparent that you knew the importance of your position and you believed in what you were doing, and you took ownership in every way. And it it just so obvious.

SPEAKER_06 9:22

Yeah, Ginger, when do you feel like the the transition made that you felt like hey, you were part of the family of the fire department, and that you like somehow you you took ownership of it and you're like, Man, this when you transition in the fireside, but to know it as well as all of us know how this works and what we need, and like when did that transition happen for you, I feel like?

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Well, I mean, pretty quickly I felt like I was a member of the fire department, and that's because of you guys, because you guys are always doing such a great job of of making me feel like I was part of the team, just like you guys did in this introduction. Um, but then uh when I knew, I kind of felt like I knew kind of what was going on. I mean, several years into my career probably before I felt like, okay, I got this, you know, uh ice storm of 2007. I was 10 years in, you know, and I was like, okay, I think I kind of get an idea of what we're doing here.

SPEAKER_05 10:23

Um yeah, that's I'm glad you had an idea of what we were doing on the ice storm. I didn't. We had house fires holding for what 30 minutes plus.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:35

So well, you came from the time that I mean, even before the ice storm, that we would we would send class A assignments, every business fire alarm got a class A assignment, and everybody was on A. Nobody switched channels. No, I mean, and then you'd get a storm roll through and you got everybody wanted to talk to you. I don't know how you kept it all in order and organized, but that was way before 2007. Yeah, I know we had some and it's like, man, we're we're in a whole different part of the city right now, everybody's out. So I don't know how you got to that point where you can juggle all that. To me, it's just it's mind-blowing.

SPEAKER_05 11:10

I I used to tell Mike that uh I said, you ginger can never tell you that she didn't hear you because she can hear four radio channels, talk on the phone, and type on a computer so there she can never use the excuse that, oh honey, I I I didn't hear you. Like that's out the window with her. You're the you're the ninja multitasking.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

Well, I remember when you know we all came on, everybody was verbalizing. There wasn't even data boxes then, you know. So we'd we had to verbalize, you guys had to verbalize every status change and yeah, then staying on a if we went to another channel, um, we were regrouping, and there were some district chiefs that did not like that. They did not, I think, because of some bad experiences, they didn't trust dispatch to regroup all those radios and stuff. So there was, yeah. So there was a lot of growing pains with all our changes.

SPEAKER_06 12:06

Obviously, you've had a wonderful career. So let's just go back to being this. What made you want to be a dispatcher? How did you get into it? Just start there.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Well, funny, it it wasn't glamorous, it wasn't like most of you guys where you want to be a firefighter all your life. And I didn't know much much about dispatch. And the way I happened upon it was, you know, way back in the 90s, you had to look at what's called the one ads in the paper. And uh I was in school at the time and you know, thinking about getting a job. I was in school actually to be an accountant and uh thinking about getting a job and and uh yeah, saw this 911 dispatcher position and thought, well, that would be cool, that'd be interesting. Let me go try that out. And then got into it and realized, hey, this is I can make a career out of this, and I like this, and and uh, you know, it's got a pension at the end of it, and so yeah, I think I'm gonna stay and do this, you know, and then uh as I got trained um through all my training and especially starting to work with you guys and you know, seeing the whys of you know the the importance of the job and and all that, I it was just you know, just sealed the deal for me, really.

SPEAKER_06 13:20

Just for the audience sake and to know what we know dispatchers, you got this side and that side, what is the whole progression to become a dispatcher, especially on the fire side, at least where we're at?

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Yeah, so well, so I'll start from the beginning. So you go through a six-week academy when you first get hired on, and I mean they're really focusing on geography's huge, you know, you gotta know how to find people that are having an emergency, also where to send your, you know, first responders. And uh, so that's a big focus of the academy. Then you also learn everything from call types and what kind of questions to ask and um what we do and don't respond to and and all that kind of stuff. And then from there, I mean, really to get trained in all positions um and to go through that progression system, it takes years of on-the-job training, sitting with somebody one-on-one day in and day out until you're cut loose on your own. Um and they feel like that you can uh they feel like you can do the job.

SPEAKER_06 14:25

Okay, so is streets I guess streets are part of that first six weeks, like yes. Because you come and teach, you know, especially the core classes, you can come and you come present streets and you have your own way of doing it, but that's a big part of knowing wherever the whole city, the layout, the streets, like I don't know. That's uh that's all part of the initial training that you're required to, I guess, memorize and yeah, but some of the first things we learn is because we feel like that's so important.

SPEAKER_02 14:52

And um, yeah, when I yeah, when I find out found out you guys geography wasn't a huge part of your academy, I started asking, can I can I come teach that? Because, you know, I mean, that's even though you're on the back of the truck, I mean you're driving that truck pretty quickly. Of course, that's changed a little bit now, um, I guess with you guys, but you know, back then, you know, you started driving the truck right away. And uh, I mean, just something simple as knowing which way to turn off the pad, you know. And some guys still don't know that. Yeah, right. I mean, and we talk they talk about how, you know, invaluable Lo and Vic and Gary Tarver were once they went from dispatch to on the truck because, you know, they knew their geography like the back of their hand, and so they knew how to tell guys to go or which way to turn or whatever. So, um, so yeah, I I've I was shocked to know that that wasn't something you guys really focused on in the academy.

SPEAKER_06 15:51

But we started kind of integrating it in class at least 108. I know it was like we got to focus on some kind of at least the basics on this. They still focus on streets and stuff as much as they used to, or are we relying on technology a lot as well?

SPEAKER_02 16:04

Well, they do in the academy, and then we, you know, of course, I didn't have all this technology when I was trained, but then yeah, I mean we have you know the Google and the GPS coordinates and all that stuff. So, you know, you have a lot more of that relying on technology. Problem with that is is when it it fails us, then what do we do?

SPEAKER_06 16:22

So Well, that's something you always did. I mean, I know you you guys are always so good at just thinking like I know where the stations are at, this is who needs to be on this. Whereas a lot of them will rely on the computer and it's not always accurate. It's not a complete science because they'll give highway credit to some that it's like that doesn't you can't no matter what you do, you're not gonna get here to beat this truck or that truck.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Right.

SPEAKER_06 16:46

And it's knowing your first an area to do that, but you were one that could work through that and knew who was supposed to be where. I always appreciated that because dispatch wouldn't always do that.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

Right.

SPEAKER_05 16:58

And if you think about it, for me as a captain on a rig, I'm required to know my first in area. You as a district chief, you're required to know your your district's first in area. Ginger knew the whole city, she knew everybody's and she knew who was going to be there first, second, third. Um you know, you just the way that you had that understanding of what made sense. And like what Chief's saying, I we know you overrode what the computer was telling you multiple times. And even sometimes when a somebody would say, Send me this company, you knew that there was another company that was a little quicker and better. And you just had an idea, just like you said, which way to turn out of the pad, you know that that's a struggle that we have with our new people. You know, a lot of dispatchers they don't even know what the pad is, you know. I think it's a true notebook pad or something. But yeah, that's you know, you just had an understanding that is very unique in your role of the operations of the fire department. You had a grasp on it that I don't think we're gonna have another dispatcher in the near future that's ever gonna be able to have that grasp to that level.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Yeah, maybe Amanda, but yeah, you've got a couple that Amanda's great, and you know and one you don't hear from very often because he works overnights is Freddie. Amanda and I trained him up, and I mean he might be better than I am. I'm not kidding. He he's he's great, but you guys you don't hear him a lot because he's overnight. And but you've got just know that uh you know, while while you guys are trying to get some rest between calls, you've got a good one down there that's taking care of you. He's he's golden. He he knows his stuff. He he paid attention. He's that's what we've we struggle with is we struggle with finding those, and I'm sure you guys do too, that have the passion and the want to and the drive to learn all that you have to learn with this job and to have that buy-in and and get why it's important to do what we do and do it quickly and efficiently. Um why I did those phone calls on the fire phone, those heads up, because a minute or two can make a huge difference in somebody's life. So it's important.

SPEAKER_06 19:14

Cared about the job, but I'm sure a lot, I mean, even what you did and were able to work through it, and there's a lot of changes that have come up over the years on how we dispatch and what we dispatch. I mean, recently we're just talking about rescue. And that changed to just send in one truck rather than the task force with it. But to keep up with all those changes and know exactly here's who's supposed to go, here's not supposed to go, you were very, very good at it. And if they said you said task force we need everybody, there was a reason you sent it, not just the rescue truck or whatever or vice versa. And I think there's a lot of changes. You just really good at keeping up with all I don't know how any dispatcher keeps up with all the changes we have and keep sending it over, and then guys are gonna they bitch about it because they didn't do this. It's like, man, do you realize again another reason doing this podcast right here over dispatch because man I don't think we give dispatchers enough credit for what they're having to go through. And again, maybe you know, they could pick their game up a little bit too sometimes, but and there's a lot. So I think we gotta give everybody some slack a little bit and say, okay, and this but again, not all of them are Ginger Wards either. So and I would have appreciated back in the day, especially a 15s, if I would have got the pre-alert alert like Captain Ward gets.

SPEAKER_04 20:29

So we can get there a little faster.

SPEAKER_06 20:33

Did you did the guy you trained, is does he know to do that too?

SPEAKER_02 20:38

Well, I have told I have yes, I have said, Freddie, please do this because these guys love it. It's important. He is still, he's he's such a funny guy. He is uh he's so good at his job, but he still to this day will tell you, you know, he's nervous about it, he's not real sure of himself and stuff, but he does such a good job. Um, and I think it's just that hesitation of, you know, which which truck do I call? I'm like, call call one of the first two or three in, you know, call, just call one and get him started. That's the most important. You know, I mean he and he knows, he knows. It's just he doesn't he doesn't know he knows or you know something. He's uh he's hesitant, but um I think eventually you'll he'll get there, he'll get to that confidence level, and he'll you guys will be getting phone calls in the middle of the night that you know giving you those pre-alerts.

SPEAKER_05 21:33

This man drops been so slow lately. Yeah, well, tell Freddie C Platoon Engine 13.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

And I'll tell him we need it. Tell him.

SPEAKER_05 21:41

Well, you know, and those pre alerts we're talking about is you know, dispatch while you're receiving the initial call, calling the fire phone of that first end company and saying, Hey, we've got a house fire, apartment fire, this address. They can get rolling before the drop hits. And like you you're saying, it it's not just a you know help us out and let us beat somebody it's to get somebody on scene to make that grab perform that rescue that you're right you know a minute makes a huge difference and the difference of somebody you know being released from the hospital or a family planning a funeral so it's definitely it's morally right yeah and that's why you did it.

SPEAKER_06 22:21

Yeah 100% so when we talk about training how long do do you think it is the whole period to be actually competent at being on the fire side of dispatch?

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Oh gosh so it took me about four years to get trained. They train you on everything on police side first and then you transition over to the fire department side and it took me four years and I'd say I was kind of on a fast track program. I mean I had the desire and want I wanted to know both sides because I wanted to know what everybody did and you're just a better what more well-rounded person when you know both sides um because you know what things police should go on and what things fire should go on. And sometimes when you aren't trained on both sides those get um those lines are blurred on you know who goes on what but uh anyway so I I feel like four years is pretty quick um because most most don't do it that quick um so what's the biggest difference you've seen between the police and the fire side um you're okay it's a fire park you can beat them up and brag about us all you want well well on the police side we're trying to you know weed out all those extra calls that you know there they don't need to be going on um they don't want to go on um and on the fire department side it's we want to go on everything you know you guys want to go on everything.

SPEAKER_05 23:54

So Ginger is PTSD or mental health a common problem among dispatchers you know I know in the fire service we're seeing it more and more and it may be that we're just starting to put a name to it. I think it's probably been happening the whole time but I think we take for granted the fact that you guys are getting that initial call especially the c when you're the call taker and the emotions behind it a lot of them are dramatic and then you're left really not knowing the outcome most times, you know so I can only imagine that you know you guys struggle at times with the things that you're subjected to. So is that is that common?

SPEAKER_02 24:36

Yeah for sure we struggle with it just like you guys do. And one of the hardest pieces what you were talking about is never getting to you know hear the end of the story or never you know it's like never finishing that book. It's one thing I learned over my career is you know I can pick up the phone and call you guys um and and find out the rest of the story and sometimes it was 180 degrees different than what we thought it was which you know is good and bad in some instances. But yeah so that that does lead to that PTSD also those you know hard calls that we either we have you know on the phone or on the radio when one of our guys gets hurt or one of our citizens gets hurt. And the department's getting better about um learning that it's not good to leave those dispatchers sitting there in that chair answering those calls or staying on that radio when those things happen and you know you might need to pull them away for a bit and you know maybe give them some time off or whatever. We're getting a little bit better about that. So we are learning kind of like you know your department's learning as well about how to best you know take care of our members.

SPEAKER_06 25:51

I'm glad to hear that that you know Chad brought up on the the Bernard school fire that you know as a department I don't think we did really good at taking care of in that same situation where there's some you know you had this huge May Day we got nine guys into the burn center and then we're those guys on those trucks that were pumping the trucks and running the scene or they're still there four hours later and we never pulled them out. Said hey go go with your members.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Uh so they are doing that I mean we we're forward thinking there a little bit a little bit they're starting to think about it we've negotiated in some stuff in a contract where we're like you know hey we need to think about having some days where members aren't having to use their own own leave time if they've had those really bad calls. Um yeah because yeah so so that's good. You know I think we we don't think about that on on your side I mean you take a call you hear the you know all the emotions coming from that call and whoever's you know on the other line and you never see the outcome of any of those though do you typically giving us feedback on the radio or whatever. Um yeah we're not usually don't know how the story ended.

SPEAKER_05 27:05

Well you know fire departments around the country w we go to something that's you know horrific or bothersome and we come back and we sit around a table and make a pot of coffee and we talk and we have that family aspect in the stations, you know, because that's our home for you guys the job goes on and you really I wouldn't think you'd have that same resource like we do of each other, you know, so I I can't imagine how you guys deal with it.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Yeah sometimes we get, you know, sometimes if it's you know during a storm or super busy shift we don't have time to break away and kind of come together around our little round table we have there in a our dispatch center um and and talk about things but um it just kind of depends on how busy that shift is you know of course same thing for you guys too but we we do a little bit of that kind of depending upon the person the crew who's working and that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_06 28:01

You feel like that's a pretty tight knit crew down there that works on the dispatch the yeah I do.

SPEAKER_02 28:05

On the fire side like you guys are I mean obviously we we go on all the calls together and right build great bonding relationships is that the same thing yeah kind of the same thing just you know really more tight knit per shift you know you've got your shifts and then um but we do a lot of holding over or coming in early or whatever so we work we all work together pretty well and yeah it's pretty pretty tight knit crew I'd say good good what can field personnel firefighters in the field do to help dispatch after those critical calls yeah I'm glad you mentioned that that's a couple of things I was going to mention is you know you just in what I was talking about because we don't have a lot of dispatchers I don't feel like that are as confident as maybe me or Amanda or Jen um to call you guys and pick up the phone and say hey you know how did that turn out so on a really bad call or a really bad scene or something where you know even it came out as you know it was you know multiple victims in a fire or whatever and there was no victims or you know whatever where you can pick up the phone and say hey that that wasn't near what it was supposed to be or or this is what happened if you don't feel like that was conveyed over the radio. So yeah picking up the phone calling them inviting them to the station for dinner there's several stations that do that um and have done that for a long time now is great. You know inviting them for a ride along that's one of the areas where I feel like my career excelled is doing those ride alongs and you know I did it with several companies um throughout my career and uh of course every time I go you know visit Mike at the station and they get a run he's like you know come go with us you know so um but just seeing that from that side of it and how you guys operate you know you're like a well-oiled machine and and you know you take the way you take care of citizens it inspired me to want to be a better dispatcher. I mean it's it made me an all around better person. I mean just being able to see that aspect of it showing them what you guys can do what what technologies you have you know how that's evolved um I think that just really helps helps them all around be a better dispatcher.

SPEAKER_06 30:21

So what you're saying is if we invite the dispatchers out for a ride along they'll give us the pre-alert alert.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

Right yeah start talking it up yeah the other thing um I didn't think to mention was inviting them to those PIAs when you guys do those PIAs um yeah those can be very beneficial for I think for you guys and for dispatchers you know you guys if the DC gives them an opportunity to you know talk about any struggles they had or concerns they had or you know anything like that I I I what that's what I've found is that it's it's a pretty good learning experience for everybody involved.

SPEAKER_06 31:03

That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_05 31:04

And we've done that on some major incidents in the past. I know we had you know the Turley fires where we had I think weren't you there?

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:14

Yeah yeah and we had you and Amanda come to that PIA um and some of the other big ones we have but I think that's a great idea. And it fosters that relationship where we get to know you guys, you know, because you and Amanda are the two that we've always had the relationships with. And that relationship would be great to have with multiple.

SPEAKER_02 31:35

Yeah absolutely is the uh any I'd say anytime you do one invite dispatchers because and they're not always going to be able to come because either they can't get off shift or you know it's their day off they got some you know other responsibilities or whatever but you I I would hope that you know they'll you'll get them there more often than not. It'll be beneficial.

SPEAKER_06 31:55

Is the leadership over on the dispatch side willing to send them out?

SPEAKER_02 31:58

I mean are they that's that's where you know you might get they they don't get to come because you know I'd hate so you come on your personal time to come to these deals but in reality that ought to be okay. Yeah. And and there's several dispatchers that would and um typically the I mean the department should be paying them to come on their off time. And usually I mean I I I would think that they would unless the department's just saying no you can't go and they're gonna come anyway because they want to and it's their off time. You know that's happened.

SPEAKER_06 32:28

Um but I think it's the same thing when you come into the core classes a lot of times I think you had to come on your own. Like yeah and you're you're benefiting everybody dispatch us. It's you know I think it's really cool just looking back on the first question and talking about the the alarm office even man the history of the fire service is so deep and especially the American fire service but the box alarms and all that that you know I think FDN I still use them don't they? I'm not sure but I mean they're they always talk about the boxes and I mean it's such a cool deal that we actually added here. Right anyway kind of a no just the history stuff is really really cool about the fire service.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

So yeah it it's it's as if since we've gotten away from it being under the fire department it's as if a lot of the administration that I had in my career um didn't understand the need for a lot of these things that we've gotten away from and so I feel like that's what's led to a lot of the brokenness is that you don't have that family you don't have and so you've just got people doing their own thing and yeah who was the dispatcher that was there for a long time Pyle Pyle he would always come by the stations I mean and still knew everything inside and out like he was at your retirement party yeah he was um and he uh yeah yeah he's had some health problems is um lately but yeah he he was in the uh I believe he was he worked at the uh museum or the what was the alarm building back then so that's where he started we talked about some technologies a little bit what what are some new technologies out there that could benefit the the guys that in the field if they knew what you guys had yeah so we have a newer system called um prepared 911 and it's an AI system that is um in real time translating that call that someone's taking um into like voice text you can also hear the recording of it as well but um but it's translating that call so anybody in that room you know so we could take a police you know because there's a lot of police calls that we go on you know especially if it's medical or you know and ends up having fire involvement or whatever um so we can we can monitor those calls you know as they're coming in real time and get a lot gain a lot of information from that and you know be able to you know quickly get fire department started if it's you know a fire call. What's also cool about that system is um we can uh uh callers can send us pictures they can send us videos of what the scene looks like so you can get a better understanding of you know if it's a tiny little piece of paper on fire or you know what you think is going to be a second alarm building fire you know and and have better information because our callers can't always you know articulate what it is we're the information we're really looking for unless we ask some good questions. And so yeah you can do everything from you know gain better knowledge of where they're located geographically and and all those things but it it's just a it's a good great tool to have over on the fire side um as those calls are coming in we have a great system where the dispatcher's listening to those calls at the same time that they're coming in so that's how you know I know to call you guys and say hey start to this location for a house fire when you haven't got the drop yet because I'm still waiting on the call taker. They're most of them are pretty quick these days they'll they'll get that call in pretty quick so when you're wondering gosh you didn't call us on that fire it's because I didn't have a chance either I was in the middle of dispatching you know something else and and um you know for some reason I didn't have a chance usually because they're pretty quick you know they can get it in with within seconds and I don't even have time to pick up a phone and call anybody but um but that system that we have over there I think works really well for those sorts of instances where we need to get somebody started quickly. And we don't have that on the police side I've always told them or I'd always said on the police side you know it'd be great if we had a way to have you know that ability to get somebody started quicker what you know look at these calls and get the information you know somebody's got a gun and that sort of stuff you know quicker than somebody can type it on a call and send it over to us. But this that system that prepared 911 system kind of gives them that ability to kind of s look at that see that and in fact some of their police officers in the field have access to that system and they know about armed robberies and shootings and stuff like that before the call taker ever has a chance because they're watching those calls as they come in and and they're they're either looking or listening to them and they they know what's going on.

SPEAKER_06 37:26

So as far as the phones I I think we talked before but the phones as far as pinging their location how accurate is that today?

SPEAKER_02 37:37

It is very accurate. And that's the other thing I was going to mention is um you know that's something we've been able to do that for quite a while. It's not really newer technology but you know us being able to text you guys GPS coordinates or put them on the call you know where it's actually easier if we text it to you because you can just click on those GPS coordinates it'll it'll take you right to your map and show you right where the person is but those those coordinates are so accurate these days that we know right where I'm pretty much right where a person's calling from inside their home. You know we can tell they're on the northeast corner of this house. They're in their garage they're in their backyard.

SPEAKER_06 38:16

And especially if you had you were on the phone with somebody in the structure and we're coming I can tell you that that would be very beneficial.

SPEAKER_02 38:25

Well it was really instrumental um I know we were going to talk about most rewarding calls um in my career but that was one of the ones I thought about um we had a house fire at 58th I think 58th and awaso um 18s was actually out of service but I could see with our GPS that they were close and I don't remember if they were doing hydrants or what they were doing but so I hollered at them because what we had was um Rebecca's on the phone with a lady um all she got out was fire. I don't even think she I'm pretty sure she didn't get her address out. She got out fire and I could tell instantly it was a house fire just because of her panic and um but she got out the word fire and went unconscious. So we didn't have an address um but we had those GPS coordinates and we could tell she was in the living room of her house. And so I was able to holler at 18s and say hey I know you're out of service but I got you know fire with a rescue involved um this lady's just gone unconscious and uh and they were like we're we're on it and I mean they got there quick and I was you know she's cut you know she's at the southeast corner southwest corner of the bit you know the house. Of course we don't always know the you know layout so we didn't know you know that was the living room but um and uh they went right in and got her and she's alive today so so that was a really cool one um that I mean just seconds of yeah the you know our but to understand everything that you just did calling a company that was out of service like hey I know where you're at but do this this and this and I wonder how many even companies today and would trust what you just said about hey they're in this part of the house.

SPEAKER_06 40:18

Most of them be like how the hell they know where they're at. Yeah no but I think understanding technology and how you can pinpoint this stuff I let me point you where they're at. Right. So it's a great outcome great I mean obviously great save but again we've I think we can trust some more things and that's awesome. And especially if a dispatcher would tell you that like you probably ought to trust them on this one. Because time man time are lives.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Yeah and and it's huge for like people that are lost on Turkey Mountain I mean all the time I was texting Kaiser you know whoever was on duty coordinates you know and saying here's where they're at and it really changed how quickly we were able to get to somebody that was lost in Turkey Mountain because I mean that that is like finding a needle in a haystack sometimes um because they can't really describe to you what trail they're near or where they're at and so that was and sometimes it was hard for us to even say you know looking at big huge um you know aerial view of Turkey Mountain and telling them you know they're right next to that rock you know whatever. So the the coordinates really helped with uh and you know kind of learning the trails and that sort of thing too really helped with getting help to our people so so let's go down to I mean obviously one of your most rewarding calls what was one of the most difficult calls one of the most difficult calls that I had was um not a caller itself but well and I'm as I thought about this um you know some of the most difficult that we all respond to or you know take a call from is the kids and I thought I don't think I want to talk about any of those. So probably my one after that would be the natural gas explosion that we had where we had a member um get severely injured. And uh that one was rough because it was a again an intuition of doing this for years um because that was what a handful of years ago um it was a short little key up from hazmat that was just a bloop but it was it was a panic or was that just a you know accidental mic key but it's something just told me there was something not right there and I'm like main to hazmat and then just a few seconds later you know all hell broke loose and it's like we've had and you know it was one of those calls they've been out there for hours you know so you just you get busy go on to all these other calls you know you're not even you know paying much attention to that O and G's already there you know they're they're taking care of this deal and I think we had one or two trucks on scene with hazmat and so anyway so then it they start you know of course more and more information comes out like it does but um but yeah and then when they said you know we've got one firefighter you know severely burned and two ONG employees and then it's like you know I've got several friends on that scene and you're going through your mind of you know well it's not this guy because he's keyed up on the radio and it's not that guy and you know getting everybody started getting more help out there and and you know not trying to you know you go back to the PTSD thing. I mean looking back it's like okay that's one of those I probably probably wouldn't have wanted to but probably should have you know taken a few minutes and and stepped away from the radio because yeah I lost it. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:42

Well I think they probably wanted you on the other side of that radio too.

SPEAKER_04 43:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:46

I mean I know if if things are going bad you would be the one I want on the other side. No matter how difficult it is for you.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:54

We need you.

SPEAKER_02 43:55

Yeah. Yeah and that was I mean you know it's just like any other I mean it's like you guys, um, you know, I I think we talked before, but it would be like pulling, you know, mate big old house fire and you know, somebody saying, Hey, you gotta go. You gotta go. You gotta get out to go take a break. You can't, you know, I mean it's kinda it's your baby that you're gonna stay there, you're gonna see it through till the end. So it's kind of the same way we are too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:22

Well, and you know, we talked before about you know, Ginger and Mike, you know, she's married to Mike Ward, legendary captain, and I think we talked in the past about the definition of a power couple, and if you're gonna put a a a couple together in emergency services, you'd be hard pressed to find somebody um more professional than you and more professional than your husband. And I think, you know, they say iron sharpens iron, and you two uh in in your fields are as good as you can possibly get. You know, your husband is a guy that from the time I've come on, I've I've called him my lighthouse. You know, I'll call him and on our days off or after I make something and r run stuff by him, and he's you know, he's that lighthouse for me, guide me in the right direction and help me process information and and then to have you um and him together, I know you guys do that amongst yourself as far as when these things happen and you know I just that resource that you have in Mike and that Mike has in you that you guys can relate, you know, and you get each other and and these things are taught tough. You're talking about, you know, the fire with D Lo and that's tough, you know. And uh but you're right, I don't think we could have pulled you away from the console at that time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 45:47

And yeah, I think we could go for hours on Mike. Probably need to get on him on here one of these days too, although I know he's already done one, but uh he's just I don't know. I don't know how the guy has the energy he has. I don't know you know, and obviously you're there with him, so yeah, but man, just his attitude on the job is so great. I remember one time he just gets a short story for Mike, he uh we were doing burn week in the big class, and they were there the last day, and one thing he said to the cadets, he said, Don't ever forget this feeling that you have today. And man, that was like wow, that's how impactful these these new firefighters are about to go out on company the very next week and and remember this because this is what it's about. And I think we get so wrapped up in the job and the our lives and the negative, and it's so easy to forget that, but you can always go back to that. So anyway.

SPEAKER_02 46:47

He told me about that. He said I told him I'd trade you, I'd trade you for that red shirt today. I'd I'd do it all over again.

SPEAKER_06 46:56

And he would.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 46:57

I mean, he's just Yep.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

Yep. I don't know if I'll ever get him to retire because he's you know, I I told him, D you know, don't leave a job while you still have it.

SPEAKER_05 47:05

So Oh, he's amazing. So, Ginger, what was one of the most rewarding calls that you remember?

SPEAKER_02 47:14

One of the ones um that I think I fits well in that category is um a big house fire we had on 33rd West Avenue, about I think it was 2015, if I recall. Um we ended up pulling five victims out of that house, three kids, a baby, one of them was a baby, two adults, and um they all needed cyanokits, which we had just um, the department had just gotten cyano kits, and the district chiefs carried, you know, each carried one. Our EMS off supervisor carried one, um, and our EMS supervisor was out of service that day training. And so when I called him, he said, uh, you know, I'm out of I'm out of service training. So then there was a struggle of trying to figure out, you know, we eventually got some EMFs uh EMS officers there with some more cyano kits um because they just kept pulling victims out left and right. But it was just so impressive several years later. I actually saw the helicopter video of that scene, and it was just so impressive to see the fire still blazing, and you know, you guys had to switch from, you know, of course, we're getting you more help started, but you had to quickly switch from, you know, most everybody being focused on the fire to being focused on rescuing victims, and just watching the number of firemen we had in that front yard working on the five, you know, people that we had that we pulled out of that house was it was it was amazing. It was very impressive. Um, but what was really cool was I actually got invited to that uh PIA that you guys had after that incident, and Chief Driscoll actually attended that one and uh and he asked me, you know, what were your struggles? What'd you need, you know, what could we have done better from your angle? And I just told him, I said, well, you know, my EMS supervisor was out of service, and um at the time we weren't backfilling for car 835, which is now car 635, but um we weren't backfilling for that position, and I said it was a struggle because I mean it left me, you know, trying to think outside the box of how am I gonna get, you know, I can't send every district chief to this fire. How am I gonna get five cyanokits to this scene? So we got it done, and uh luckily we saved all five lives, and and uh so uh yeah, I'd have to say that was one of my most because we've we oh, and and the chief was like, okay, done deal. I mean, effective immediately, you know, we're gonna backfill for that position so that that position, you know, is always available for anything that we need them for. So that was that was pretty cool, and then also, you know, saving, saving five of those citizens.

SPEAKER_06 50:03

That was that position was pretty new at the time, wasn't it? The A35.

SPEAKER_02 50:08

And then, yeah, the cyano kit was very new. And I just happened to know about what cyano kits were because again, that relationship with my husband, he just happened to say, Hey, we got this cool thing that we're carrying now, you need to know about. And then, of course, you know, I'm telling our people, hey, you guys need to know about this, this will save lives.

SPEAKER_06 50:28

Absolutely. That was such an impressive fire, too. That they pulled one out, pulled another one out. I mean, the video shows and pulling every all the firemen working it. It was uh they really made our department look good on that one. I mean, they performed just beautifully. It was uh very, very impressive. Then they got an award for it, which they definitely deserved. And at the time they had what one of the trucks was a squad, one was the the they had the ladder in the squad there, right? So now they got an engine and a ladder. So we've actually got one more person there. They did a bang up job on that fire. So and that's awesome that you were dispatching. I wouldn't want anybody else on the other side of that if we had something like that to know looking for sino kits for me, looking for, you know, again, forward thinking. What are you gonna need next? So ambulances, sino kits, the whole nine yards. Fire trucks, yes.

SPEAKER_02 51:24

We had to have somebody fire and fighting fire to fight fire because we didn't have time.

SPEAKER_06 51:29

Oh man. But those guys, I was very, very impressive. Very impressive.

SPEAKER_05 51:34

I don't think it's any coincidence. We we had talked, you know, a few weeks ago about it. Seems like when we had a storm or a catastrophic event or some major fire, it just so happened that Ginger Ward was at work that day. And I don't think it's a coincidence, you know, and I don't think you understand, but field personnel, when they hear your voice when we're in those situations, we take a little bit of a deep breath and we're like, whoo, we got help, you know. And I think it's awesome to be that person for so many of us, you know, 700 of us, um, that when we hear your voice, we're like, oh, we we got help, you know. And that's really the way we feel, and it's across the job, and I don't think you really uh you hear us saying it, but I don't know that you really understand the impact that you've made and you know how much we appreciated what you did and knowing that you were there, it it gave us that sense of relief knowing that we we had some help and good help, you know. And then we were talking about those guys getting the award for that. Just come to me. Is there any type of awards that dispatchers are capable of getting or that any entity gives out?

SPEAKER_02 52:54

You know, I do believe there's something called APCO, something called Nina, and I do believe they have their own different awards that they do annually for dispatchers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:07

It's a good idea. We need to do a better job of recognizing. Oh man, we do. Well, I mean, it's just like anybody on scene, a company officer or a chief officer that's calm and cool and you know brings the tempo down, so do the dispatchers. You know, and you can tell some of them by their excitement when they're dispatching it, whether you kind of have something or not, what you're looking at, but also we got to keep the temperatures down as well. So a good dispatcher would do that for you. And obviously, knowing you're behind the scenes, life's good because I got somebody helping me. You know, getting things in order and in place behind the scenes, not here, but you know, so I'm not having to call for them.

SPEAKER_05 53:49

And you could tell with ginger, she wouldn't get really excited, but she would get in that zone, and you could tell if Ginger was in the zone, uh boys, we we got something here. Yeah, you know. I I know her and I can tell.

SPEAKER_02 54:03

Right. And what's funny is talking about those pre-alerts calling those fire phones. I mean, I was always just house fire, 33rd West Avenue, and you know, Admiral, whatever. And uh, and guys would call me back later and say, Can you get a little more excited? Because like it's like they couldn't compute that I am calm and saying the words house fire and an address at the same time, especially those younger guys, you know. It's like they just and then you know, that's why I played you that audio earlier of that of that one that was so funny. Um, but yeah, so they just you know get all excited. But that was a fun part for me too, right? Because I kind of got to be a part of that team and hear, you know, that excitement. And that's that's why I'm trying to get these dispatchers to do it because it's it's fun to hear that excitement and to hear you guys, you know, just yell, you know, gotta, you know, we got one, or you know, let's go or whatever, and and you know, hang up and and stuff. So anyway, it's just fun to be a be a little bit part of that.

SPEAKER_06 55:05

Yeah, they've never been down there talking to you where you're talking, oh yeah, dispatch and talking to us, carrying on a conversation, yeah, dispatch. I don't know how you did it all. I'm like, I did you even hear what I said? And then you'll answer it. Like you said earlier. I don't know Mike can ever say, Hey, no, you sure she can't say you never heard me.

SPEAKER_05 55:22

Yeah, she has no excuses for not hearing everything Mike says.

SPEAKER_06 55:26

Yeah, multitasking.

SPEAKER_05 55:28

Well, and for quite a while now, years, we bring the academy class down on a day, and they get to tour dispatch, and it's funny, you know, I was a training officer for three academies, and all three academies when we'd get back on the bus, they'd be like, Whew, how do they do that? You know, it just blew their mind how they did it. And we we were pretty good about bringing them when you and Amanda was working, and that was really, really good for them to see that. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:58

Yeah, it was always fun when we were busy and they got to see some real action because you know you don't always get to see that kind of like when you do it right along. You don't always get to see the good stuff.

SPEAKER_06 56:07

Yeah, it never fails. We don't do anything. You're telling us you're busy all the time. Like you just got one of those days, man. Yeah. Guess that's not much, I guess.

SPEAKER_05 56:22

Well, Matt Bell was down there with you one day, and a call came in for engine three, and he asked you if he could dispatch it, and he Matt Bell dispatched me on a call from dispatch, and I of course I knew who it was. It's Matt, but yeah, what in the world is going on?

SPEAKER_02 56:39

You can't mistake that.

SPEAKER_05 56:40

No, no, the world's going down, Matt Bell's past. And then he calls me and says, Oh, Ginger, let me send you on that. I said, Well, you sounded stupid. Yeah, building them up, build them up.

SPEAKER_06 56:55

Uh Ginger, well, is there any lasting impact that working with fire services made in your life?

SPEAKER_02 57:00

Yeah, absolutely. Um I mean, you guys uh you just uh made me a better person. You made me a better dispatcher, um uh just well just more well-rounded individual. I mean, truly. Uh you guys I got to see how you guys took care of people, and that's how I wanted to take care of people. Um, I wanted what you guys did and uh from the dispatcher side of it, and so yeah, you just made me better all the way around.

SPEAKER_06 57:36

Well, thank you. We I can't say enough good about you and what you've done for us, so you've made us better too, Ginger. All the way around.

SPEAKER_05 57:46

What's Nick Saban say about high achievers don't like mediocre? Mediocre people and mediocre people don't like high achievers. Yeah. So I don't think there's any coincidence why we uh as a job kind of clung to you and liked you because uh you're a high achiever and you know that's that's what we like to do. But you know, the impact that you've made on our job, you know, the the one little story that you shared with us about the cyanal kits and and getting a policy change basically on having those readily available. That's just one example of was it 27 years?

SPEAKER_02 58:21

Twenty-eight, almost twenty-nine.

SPEAKER_05 58:22

Almost twenty-nine years. You'll never be able to um put a number to how many different changes you've made, impacts you've made, lives that have been saved, um, things that you know, you set the bar to a level where from our side of it on the red trucks, we hold everybody to your level. And so if we have somebody at dispatch that doesn't meet the ginger ward level, um we're upset. We're not we're not getting what we know is is capable of being done, you know. So you've set the bar, you set the tone. Um, you're what we hold everybody else to. So you've made a huge impact on our job. And you know, when a dispatcher retires and you have 700 plus firefighters that are upset about the fact that we don't have you down there anymore, that that kind of says a little something about who you are and the impact you've made on us. So we just can't thank you enough.

SPEAKER_02 59:27

Thank you for saying that. This yeah, same. I mean, I feel the same way about you guys. It was tough leaving because of you guys for sure.

SPEAKER_06 59:36

Well, you've definitely set the standard, set the bar down there. So anything else you want to close with? Last words you want to say to everybody?

SPEAKER_02 59:44

Um, thank you guys for having me on here. Thank you for all your kind words. Um, but yeah, I don't feel deserving, but you guys are awesome. That's why I love you guys because you have always treated me well and um have always been there for me when I needed you. And I really appreciate the job you do for our citizens and how you treat our dispatchers and can't thank you enough.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:09

Well, Ginger, we love you and we wish you the best, and we'd still get to see you at the museum. And yeah, we're gonna start going to our fire to retire meetings and get to see you down there, maybe.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:20

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:22

Uh you're not getting rid of us. We're getting close, Chad, to those fire to retire meetings. We're getting real close. All right. Well, Ginger, thank you for being here. Thank you, guys. All right.