Weird title, sorry. This is a vent/discussion post, and I am hoping I could also get some input from other people in this field.
So I am a police dispatcher for a small police department, when I first started I asked my trainer about lunch places I could easily get to during lunch break and she told me that we don't get breaks or lunches. Keep in mind our schedule is a mix of eight-hour and 12-hour shifts. I gawked and said “isn't that illegal?”, to which she said, “Those rules don't apply to first responders or other people in the public safety business.”
This shocks me, you would think we would be the people you want to be at their best, right? Now, I work thirds, I get time to eat, but it would be nice to mentally check out for even 15 minutes but I can't, I always have to be ready for a call. I also can't leave except to go to the bathroom – sometimes for 12 hours, or 16 if someone calls in.
So has anyone had any similar experiences?