Becoming a Police Officer
25th July 2020
A day in the life of a Call Handler
I’ve been a Police Call Handler for over 5 years now, and I can honestly say I’ve never had two days the same!
Call Handlers are held in high regard within the Force as a whole, and we are recognised as ordinary people doing an extraordinary job.
So what do I do on a day to day basis?
I step into the control room, it’s not what people imagine, there isn’t any chaos, and everything is calm. I am greeted by my colleagues, I refer to them as my ‘Police Family’. We are a close-knit team, we have excellent camaraderie and I enjoy being in their company. The rota for today informs me I am taking 101 calls this morning, and after lunch I am taking 999 calls. I like the variety of my role.
What am I assigned to today? 101 calls, 999 calls, Emails, Webchat, Switchboard?
Whichever I am on, I know that today I will have a positive impact on someone’s life. This is why I love the job I do. I can spend half an hour on the phone to a lady who is having ongoing issues with her neighbours, who needs a little more of my time due to her vulnerabilities, and needs reassurance, she needs someone to listen, I am there. I task the local neighbourhood officers to go and visit her, she is very grateful.
On to my next call. Suddenly there’s a 5 car pile-up on the M5 and an influx of emergency calls coming through, you’d imagine sheer panic, there is none. I hear my colleague assisting a very distressed member of the public whose wife is injured within the collision, I hear her reassure him, and his relief when help arrives to him. My colleague did that, and I recognise it. I complete my day after dealing with an array of calls, Missing people, Domestic Incidents, Criminal damage, Violence.
I am asked how my day is. I like being in job where people care. I like knowing that I have so many different support networks available to me, TRIM (Trauma Risk Management) Employee Assistance Programme, UNISON, Peer Support, The Family Support Group, LGBT Network, Chaplaincy, the list really is endless!
I made mention earlier to two days never being the same, and I meant it. And I like a challenge, I like to progress and expand my skills. I like new opportunity.
The call handling role gives you opportunities. Alongside my call handling role I am also a mentor, I coach new members into the team, passing on my knowledge and experience and demonstrating my passion for the job I do. I am also an Enhanced Crisis Communicator, trained to listen, empathise and encourage a person in crisis to try and view things differently, I am trained to save lives. I can still progress if I desire, I can be a social media champion, a peer supporter, a Shadow Leader, I can be whatever I thrive to be!
Courage, Integrity, commitment, passion and empathy. If you have all of these then Devon and Cornwall Police really will ensure that you are trained to develop ever other skill needed to fulfil this role. It cannot be denied that the role is challenging, that are some intensely busy times and often some complex enquiry’s, but you will have all of the encouragement and support to enable you to be the best you can be, have faith in yourself, you may surprise yourself!
Here are some added bonuses:
- Access to the ‘Blue Light Card’ scheme – a huge range of offers and discounts
- Excellent Pension Scheme
- 6 day on 4 day off rolling shift pattern
- Uniform provided
- Child care vouchers
- Free financial assistance/mortgage advice
- Job Satisfaction
- Opportunities to spend time with different departments within the Police Force
- Planned Social Events
- On-site gyms
- Force Lottery
