Dispatcher Is Raising Money For 911 Podcast Series

A Michigan comm center supervisor is on a mission to put a public spotlight on public safety dispatchers with a weekly podcast, and is now seeking funding to bring the project to life. Ricardo Martinez says he realized that most dispatchers were hidden behind secure doors and the public had only a vague idea of exactly what they do. So he began a project to provide an explanation of a dispatcher’s world, originally via a written blog. But now Martinez wants to expand his spotlight to include other dispatchers voices—literally—with a live audio podcast. “The point of the show is to give a better look at what we do and tell the stories of the dispatchers that answer the call,” Martinez says on his Kickstarter fund-raising page. He envisions bringing up to four dispatchers together electronically each week to explain and discuss dispatching topics. “It’s a way for us to open up about our experiences and allow the public to get another angle of the story,” he says. Martinez has set a goal of $1,500 for audio gear that will enable the expanded podcast. The fund-raising ends on Saturday, and he is accepting pledges from $5 and up. Find more information and help fund the podcast from the Kickstarter page, and listen to the first episode of his audio blog. Update: Within 24 hours of this story, Martinez exceeded his goal, with 30 backers pledging $1,771. Update: A local newspaper profiled Martinez, who talked about how his career began and his podcast project, and a TV station also did a story about his new podcast.