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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I snagged this one while I was working a desk shift because the chair on the cover looked soooo comfortable... turns out, this slim little memoir was really engaging and engrossing! Caroline's transition from crack smoking, abused girlfriend to 911 dispatcher is bittersweet: just as she gains mastery over the hectic, oppressive atmosphere of the call center (just when DO you think they get time to vacuum a place that's occupied 24/7?) she's beginning to doubt whether she can do this job for 30 years like Kristen, Queen of the Main Line. She becomes jaded because of the constant exposure to crisis & misfortune, but also discovers that her detachment has given her an inner strength she didn't know was possible. The push/pull of "life in the hot seat" will keep readers glued to the page for more than just voyeuristic thrills. Give this one to high schoolers thinking about possible careers, or anyone who wants a glimpse into the inner workings of an extreme job.
This is the memoir of a woman who dropped out of nursing school, and dabbled briefly in drugs before eventually finding her calling as a police dispatcher and 911 operator. She includes many anecdotes from her life on the job and how demanding her career is. She also attempts to explain the many codes that she needs to know to do her job without talking down to her audience. I read this on my Nook and I couldn't help but notice a number of minor but distracting editing issues: letter sequences that should have been capitalized but weren't and many misplaced commas. AS an English major those errors really stood out to me, but didn't detract from the story so much as temporarily distracting me. Overall I would recommend this if you are considering a career in police dispatching or want to know what really happens on the other end of the phone when you call 911.
informative
slow-paced
Goes nowhere slowly, but not in an unpleasant way. You simply wait for most of the book for a look into Caroline's life, the impact of her work on her family, for little pay-off (which I wouldn't have questioned if her story didn't begin with the intimate details of her life that led her to become a 911 dispatcher. Still an interesting insight into the job.
3.5/5.
3.5/5.
I bought this book for my kindle a few years back and have been meaning to read it forever. It turned out to be a great book and I would definitely recommend it.
Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat is a memoir written by a 911 call centre operator. Author, Caroline Burau, describes her first few months on the job in detail including the unusual calls she received, the high number of mistakes she inevitably made in such a fast paced and high-importance career, as well as the lessons she learned about more than just answering phones, but life in general. Her advice about when to and when not to call 911 is funny at times but also interesting and informative. She shares how people sometimes think their emergency is not an emergency and they think they shouldn't call for help, but yet people will call for the most random and completely unnecessary reasons. I also hadn't thought about how 911 operators don't get to hear what happens next in a person's emergency, as soon as the crews arrive, their part in the story ends. On the other hand, I also learned that 911 operators often know more than you would think about you, your house and your neighbours because of sending emergency crews out to an address more than once.
Burau did a fantastic job keeping things light and comical, while also interesting, informative and dramatic. The chapters were usually short and while often based on theme, were in relatively chronological order, mixing the two main structures of memoir narrative in a way that actually works really well. While I tend to not buy books very often any more (this is a really good thing lol) I am glad I bought this one and can check it off my TBR 5 years after adding it!
Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat is a memoir written by a 911 call centre operator. Author, Caroline Burau, describes her first few months on the job in detail including the unusual calls she received, the high number of mistakes she inevitably made in such a fast paced and high-importance career, as well as the lessons she learned about more than just answering phones, but life in general. Her advice about when to and when not to call 911 is funny at times but also interesting and informative. She shares how people sometimes think their emergency is not an emergency and they think they shouldn't call for help, but yet people will call for the most random and completely unnecessary reasons. I also hadn't thought about how 911 operators don't get to hear what happens next in a person's emergency, as soon as the crews arrive, their part in the story ends. On the other hand, I also learned that 911 operators often know more than you would think about you, your house and your neighbours because of sending emergency crews out to an address more than once.
Burau did a fantastic job keeping things light and comical, while also interesting, informative and dramatic. The chapters were usually short and while often based on theme, were in relatively chronological order, mixing the two main structures of memoir narrative in a way that actually works really well. While I tend to not buy books very often any more (this is a really good thing lol) I am glad I bought this one and can check it off my TBR 5 years after adding it!
This is the second time reading this novel. The every-day struggles of a 911 dispatcher. I find this a quick and easy read, and am using the information as a buffer for a character I'm working on in my own novel. The material in the book is great, I know not every dispatch center runs the same exact way, but it really gives you an idea about what it’s like working as one. The stress that goes along with job, the strain it can put on your personal life and the all and BS that the dispatchers and many police have to go through in their line of work. It’s a thankless job, one you never want to have to need in your life but in all odds are grateful that there’s someone there to answer your panicked call.
This has been on my want to read for a while now and I had really high hopes folr it, but the author just comes off as so rude and uptight that it took away any enjoyment I could have had from the book.
I get that she works in a stressful job, and making jokes about stressful things is a way for people to cope, but you don't have to repeat those jokes in print. She just seemed so insensitive and uncaring, like damn sorry a mentally ill person called you and showed signs of their illness. It must suck having to do the job you're paid to do.
I get that she works in a stressful job, and making jokes about stressful things is a way for people to cope, but you don't have to repeat those jokes in print. She just seemed so insensitive and uncaring, like damn sorry a mentally ill person called you and showed signs of their illness. It must suck having to do the job you're paid to do.
For any of my friends and family who are curious about my job... this book captures it better than I can express it in words.
I found this book to be very interesting and pretty funny at times.
As a new dispatcher in the same area as the author, it was refreshing to hear I'm not alone in my experiences with calls and fellow dispatchers. I'm also not alone in mistakes and learning. Who knew it could be such a tough job. When i read the initial paragraph i instantly related. At times i wondered if i had written the book. Thanks for so candidly sharing the general experience of so many. I hope others can gain a better understanding of who we are.