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tackerman
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 1741
Location: in the ether
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 Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:43 am Post subject: Way off topic and one of the reasons I'm tired of the news |
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Last edited by tackerman on Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:01 am; edited 1 time in total |
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allensco
Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 823
Location: Alabama, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:48 am Post subject: |
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That's very sad Tom. As a 9-1-1 dispatcher by day, I feel your pain. I deal with bad things everyday. Nothing worse than taking a phone call from a desperate person who can't tell you what's happening other than they need help. Many times, these people can't even tell you their address. It's much worse when children are involved as the victims.
My worst call yet was from a woman whose ex-husband had just shot her. I could hear him in the background loading another round into the shotgun while she was trying to tell me where she was. She could hardly talk due to the gunshot wound to her chest. He finished her off while she was begging for her life....and I was listening on the phone....still not sure WHERE she was. Miraculously, I was able to find her, albeit too late. The ex-husband took his own life less than 24 hours later as law enforcement was looking for him. By the way, police arrived at the residence and had missed him by about 30 seconds.
All this happened very quickly, but seemed like an eternity while I was on the line with her....and it replays in my mind frequently. Sadly, I can recall EVERY detail from the call. |
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BenWils
The Thirteenth Floor
Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 1324
Location: In a Flyover State
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: |
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Man Allen....that is rough. I absolutely could not do that job. You must be a better man than me....all my best to you as you help people everyday as you do.
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Ben
"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap." |
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mcm
Smart Kitteh
Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Posts: 2600
Location: w. MA, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:27 am Post subject: |
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Allen, I had no idea. I always thought you were just a cool VO & radio dude and it turns out you're also a hero.
Unbelievable what we got here at vo-bb. |
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allensco
Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 823
Location: Alabama, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| BenWils wrote: | | Man Allen....that is rough. I absolutely could not do that job. You must be a better man than me....all my best to you as you help people everyday as you do. |
Thanks Ben! I will say that I didn't sleep well for the next few nights. I wasn't sure I could do it either when I started in 2000. Still though, those real bad calls will get to you. You learn alot about yourself when you do a job like that. You learn to distance yourself and keep the emotions in check. There are some days I get so mad that even I can't believe it.
| Quote: | | Allen, I had no idea. I always thought you were just a cool VO & radio dude and it turns out you're also a hero. Unbelievable what we got here at vo-bb. |
Thanks Mary, I do enjoy the job. It's very rewarding (sometimes), but would give it up to do VO fulltime. 9-1-1/EMD dispatch=High stress. VO=Less stress. |
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Audiogal
King's Row
Joined: 22 Aug 2005
Posts: 1083
Location: Shreveport, LA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | It's very rewarding (sometimes), but would give it up to do VO fulltime. 9-1-1/EMD dispatch=High stress. VO=Less stress. |
For sure. Even the most trying client is nothing compared to what you encounter on the job. Believe me, I've noted the difference between V/O & "other" work...
When I worked in TV Creative Services, our animator would sometimes leave his computer rendering something when he left the office. He used to get VERY upset because often, halfway through, the thing would crash & he would have to start all over.
One day, he left, & sure enough, I looked over there & the screen was black. Gone. I felt obligated to do something, anything, to keep this poor man from jumping off a bridge when he came in the next morning & saw...NOTHING to show for his hard work.
I posted a sign above his desk. "The computer crashed. But always remember, it's not brain surgery, and NO ONE DIES!"
He laughed when he read it & never removed the sign from his wall. It always did help us keep our perspective on hectic days.
Seriously, Allen, we regular citizens salute you & your "nerves of steel" 'cause we know it takes a special person to do such a job.
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Mary |
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allensco
Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 823
Location: Alabama, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks Mary. I appreciate it very much AND cool story about the animator. Thankfully, those types of calls are few and far between in this area. Most of the calls we get are for the police and are not emergency calls. Just folks with complaints and they want to talk to an officer about it. Example, the neighbor's dog walked across their lawn or the person living across the street is staring at them (yes, really!). I dispatch for police fire and EMS, so I've dealt with 'em all. I got out of fulltime radio to dispatch in 2000 so I've been at it for just over 6 years now. |
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DaveChristi
King's Row
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Posts: 1033
Location: Bend, OR
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| allensco wrote: | | It's very rewarding (sometimes), but would give it up to do VO fulltime. 9-1-1/EMD dispatch=High stress. VO=Less stress. |
As the husband of a 911 Dispatcher (her call center handles 12-13 agencies in the county), I appreciate what you do. They say career burn-out for a dispatcher is 5 years. She's been doing it for 7 - including Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office DURING the 2002 Olympics - and is ready for a change.
Best wishes on making the transition to full time VO.
| VoiceTom wrote: | | Give your kids a big hug today... bigger than usual. |
I gave 'em 2.
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Dave "Christi" Felton
The Character Voice Actor |
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Jeffers
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Way off topic and one of the reasons I'm tired of the ne |
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| VoiceTom wrote: | | ...Give your kids a big hug today... bigger than usual. Now that I've got little ones these stories really take something out of me. I can't even begin to imagine the hell some innocent little ones go through every day. |
We just finished our heatwave in the SF Bay Area. Now that you mention it, I didn't even hear one story about a child being left in a car!! WooHoo!!! Over 12 days above 95 degrees. That is really long for the "fog zone".
Allen- Awesome sir...just awesome!!! I bow to thee!!!! It takes a strong person to do your job!
Jeff S. |
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COURVO
Even Taller Than He Seems On TV
Joined: 10 Feb 2006
Posts: 1569
Location: Vegas, Baby!
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| Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Tom,
I hear ya.
"KIDS LEFT IN CARS" stories headline our Las Vegas newscasts way too often. Our meteorologist does a "Car-mometer" segment in the news. He literally has a thermometer in his closed-window car on the blacktop, and it regularly reaches 140-150 during the dog-days.
The city has passed new ordinances making it a felony to leave a kid in a car. You feel bad for otherwise well-meaning parents who lose a child to the heat, and then face jail-time on top of it....but the thinking by the city was to create a deterrent.
Personally, I blame the helter-skelter pace-of-life this culture supports which leads to people actually FORGETTING they sometimes leave their kids in the car....
DC
_________________
Dave Courvoisier - Las Vegas, NV
http://www.CourVO.com
CourVO@CourVO.com
Courvo's "Voice Acting in Vegas" Blog: http://www.CourVO.biz
on your phone at courvo.mobi
702.610.6288
"I'm not a news anchor, but I play one on TV." |
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glittlefield
M&M
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 2039
Location: Round Rock, TX
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| Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Couldn't agree more, Dave. You know it's time to take stock of how much your daily tasks REALLY mean to you if you forget and leave your child in the car. I've only (almost) done that once. I pulled up and parked at work, turned around to reach behind my seat to get my laptop bag, and was met by my daughter's smiling face looking back at me from her car seat. Embarassed, I grumbled something about what an idiot I was, turned back around to start the minivan to take her to the daycare center where she went every day.
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Greg Littlefield
VO-BB Member #59 |
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