Is it Really That Difficult?

I know this brand of rant is nothing new to many of you, but it just really frosted my weasel when this happened to me. Seriously, what motivates some people to be such dunderheads?

Squad 51, Medic 98, and ..... I guess .... Mayberry Engine 13 (??)..... respond to ______

What the hell is that? You guess? I usually love fire dispatchers, but honestly, Mayberry FD in the next county over is on some of our run cards at the edge of the district because..... wait for it..... we want them to respond. Imagine that.

It's "nice" that they verbalize Mayberry on the dispatch, but I know from past experience that they don't actually go through with it and request them from neighboring Hazzard County.

So, I go grab the squad from Station 51, come online, and ask for 13's. You know... because we, like, want them to actually respond with us.

Squad 51 is responding. Please notify Hazzard County to have Mayberry respond. Like you should do without me having to ask.

10-4 Squad 51.

A minute or so goes by. I am first-due but have not yet arrived at the call.

Squad 51, Hazzard advises they don't think anyone is at the Mayberry station.

Expletives. Is this for real? They don't think anyone is home, so don't bother? Is this from the same flowchart they use when Mayberry has a call of their own? News flash, Mr/Ms Hazzard County dispatcher.... Mayberry is an all-volunteer, unstaffed house to begin with. Thus the house is empty almost all of the time. Not only that, but..... wait for it..... they have.... pagers! Dude! Go Technology!!

Squad 51 copies, please direct Hazzard County to dispatch Mayberry anyway. Really, this should never have gotten to step #2, and what are we on now, step #5 or so? This should be lock and load and Mayberry en route from the starting gun. Unbelievable.

I arrived. The medic arrived. A Mayberry unit did eventually show up, surprisingly late even with the drama. You see, Hazzard County dispatched them with just a house number 'across the county line', which apparently is a stand-in assumption for the major route between our districts. Except that's not where we were. Mayberry eventually found us anyway. It is not clear which dispatcher dropped the ball on the address, but that's just a bullet item on a long list of Shouldn't Happen.

We compared notes... there was a ten minute delay from the initial dispatch to when Mayberry got the dispatch - to the wrong location. Mayberry is able, willing, and.... available. If only the information could get to them unfiltered and without delay.

Can't... find... words... to... describe... the... madness...