Life in the Force Control Room - Kulwinder Kaur
Kulwinder Kaur is one of our multi-skilled call operatives in the Force Control Room (FCR). She spends each shift taking both 101 and 999 calls from the public – here’s an insight into the job and why she loves coming to work.
I joined Northants Police Control Room in 2007 after many years of thinking to work for the police. I was always interested in working for some area of the law since I was a young child and it was one of my best decisions to become a multi skilled call operative.
No two days are ever the same at Northants Police and the pace is often very busy as you would imagine for a Police control room which takes over 1200 calls a day. I enjoy the hectic pace with like minded colleagues who are always here to support each other as we have a common goal which is to keep people safe.
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Over the years I have listened to our callers and gained a listening ear, which allows me to make decisions on how to best help members of the public when they ring us on 999 or on our non-emergency number 101. Listening is a key part of my role, I never want to miss a vital piece of information that could make a difference to our response to an individual that may need us the most. If I can reassure someone who could be involved in a road traffic incident or a victim of domestic abuse once in my 12 hour shift then I am happy that I made a difference that day.
I am fortunate to be able to speak a second language due to my parents being first generation immigrants from India. Being able to speak with someone in their own language when English is not their first language offers them a connection and confirms we understand them without any language barriers. Therefore, if you are able to speak a second language and would love to use it then definitely apply to work with me to make a difference.
The Control Room operates 24/7 365 days a year and to manage this there are four teams that work a variety of shift patterns around the clock. You can find yourself working at times when it is strangely quiet at 3am on a Friday night then everything changes as members of the public are now leaving the pubs/clubs but perhaps not in a calm or orderly manner so our lines will start buzzing again. We take such a variety of different calls from people with mental health issues, victims of assaults and verbal abuse to an elderly person with a plumbing issue. All calls require your kindness, patience and support to help provide a solution to the problem in hand.
I look forward to coming into work and if you would like to do so too don’t hesitate to apply, to be a part of a police family that care about people no matter their race, religion or background.