ProCHRT Toolbox

Public safety telecommunicators are devoted to assisting others every day, whether it be to help guide them through personal crisis, deal with life threatening situations, answer questions or assure them help is available. It is essential that telecommunicators take good care of themselves so they are able to better handle challenges and mitigate the impact of shift work and stress. Studies show there may be negative health effects from shift work, stress, lack of exercise or poor eating habits. The resources in this section of the ProCHRT Toolbox are designed to help individuals recognize signs of possible trouble, and to be proactive about building positive habits and striving for good mental and physical health. These resources may be adopted by an individual, or used to motivate a shift or agency to challenge themselves to work toward optimum health as a group.

Diet and Exercise

• 10,000 Steps a Day
• 23 Healthy And Delicious Low-Carb Lunches
• 18 Ways to Make This Your Healthiest Summer Ever
• Best Diet Tips Ever
• Deskercise: 33 Ways to Exercise at Work
• Exercise at Your Desk
• Get Healthy by Taking the Stairs
• Sitting and Health for 911 Dispatchers and Call Handlers
• Top 10 Foods for Stress Relief
• Healthier Living
• Treadmill Desks for 911

Night Shift

• 6 Ways to Make Working Night Shift Less Hazardous
• Could you have shift work sleep disorder?
• Disadvantages To Working The Night Shift
• Effect Of Night Shift On Nurses
• Shift Work - Improving Daytime Sleep
• Sleep Loss May Cause Brain Damage
• Sleep Tips for Shift Workers
• Tips for Healthy Eating and Exercising When Working Shifts
• Tips for Shift Workers

General Health

• 25 Ways to Practice Self Care
• Alternatives to Traditional New Year’s Resolutions
• Evaluation of Potential Noise Hazards
• Help Guides for Overall Wellbeing
• High Blood Pressure Report
• How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions
• How to Sleep Better
• Sleeping Well in the Digital Age
• How Technology Impacts Sleep

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• 2 Minute Mindfulness Exercise by the APCO Wellness Committee
• 911 dispatchers and PTSD: Why dispatchers face mental health issues
• Brain Fitness
• Managing Conflict in Meetings
• Start the Conversation (video about first responder suicides)
• 7 Leaders Share Insights About Work-Life Balance
• Techniques 911 dispatchers can use to manage stress 
• Telecommunicators & Mental Health (CDE #36488)
• The impact of 911 telecommunications on family and social interactions

Recognizing and Mitigating Stress

• 7 Leaders Share Insights About Work-Life Balance
• Article on Adrenal Health
• Stress and Food Cravings
• Side Effect of Stress
• Signs Of Stress
• Stress — Traumatic Incident Stress
• Stress at Work 
• Stress On The Job
• Stress Reduction
• Weight Gain from Stress

Specific to Telecommunicators

• Comparison of Law Enforcement and Dispatch Stress
• Dispatcher Stress
• Dispatchers Can Experience PTSD Just as Much as Other First Responders
• Emergency Dispatchers Note Long Hours and Stress
• Examining the Relationship Between Secondary Traumatic Stress and Sickness Absenteeism Within 9-1-1 Emergency Call Centers
• Hazards of Being a 911 Dispatcher
• Life of Constant Crises Takes Emotional Toll on 911 Operators
• PTSD and Depressive Symptoms in 911 Telecommunicators by Michelle Lilly
• PTSD Report: Duty-related trauma exposure in 911 telecommunicators
• Therapy Dog Helps Emergency Dispatchers Cope With Stress
  
• Columns by Dani-Jean Stuart 
  • If You've Ever Said, "This Shift Is Killing Me," Part 3 August 2016
  • If You've Ever Said, "This Shift Is Killing Me," Part 2 July 2016
  • If You've Ever Said, "This Shift Is Killing Me," Part 1 March 2016
  • Don't Worry, Be Happy October 2015
  • Ten Things to Do When Dispatch is Deader than Disco August 2015
  • Who Takes Care of Us? - May 2015
  • Let's Talk About Those 10,000 Steps - May 2015
  • Health, Satiety and Meditation - April 2015
  • Let's Talk About Stress - March 2015
    
  • The Killer Chair ... and How to Vanquish It - February 2015
    
  • It's About Balance AND the Calories - January 2015