Thank you 2020
New year, new me is what most people say as they are closing out the year and steaming ahead to the next right? It’s how we close the chapter on whatever we dealt with and are determined to make the next one better. I know that’s what I thought. I was preparing to attend many conferences by either speaking as a Keynote, Closer, doing a session, or setting up and doing the podcast by sharing stories from attendees in 9-1-1. I had plans like everyone else in the world but just like everyone else…plans changed, and we all had to adapt.
2020 started out with a bang and around March, the world was shut down. Not one person was able to escape the pandemic. Businesses closed, travel stopped, toilet paper was out of stock, paper and cleaning products in general were out of stock, and there were limits on water and food. It was something out of a movie, but we were living through it. On top of that it was an election year and we saw civil unrest all over. Essential workers were the highlight as those in the food services, medical, public safety, and more went to work to power the world. Furthermore, masks, of all things, became a necessity along with a fashion statement. 2020 was by far a crazy, shit year, but there is much to be thankful for.
Yes, 2020 did suck, but I feel that it pushed each and every one of us to think outside of the box. The projects we had on the back burner were now front and center. We learned how to do new things and how do I know that? Because many of you reading this, myself included, posted about it and we cheered each other on. We were going through this together and we formed a support system to tackle the pandemic. Conference calls over Zoom was at its peak and how you attended was your choice. It was basically the mullet where instead of business up front, party in the back, we now had business on top, party from the waist down. Along with those conference calls came the rise of virtual training.
Sure, it has been around for a while, but with the pandemic, we needed a way to continue providing training to those within the trenches of 9-1-1. Virtual conferences hit with a force like no other allowing 9-1-1 dispatchers, call takers, and more to attend from around the world. They were able to watch and interact LIVE or watch on-demand. Folks who wouldn’t normally get the chance to listen and learn from the best in the industry were now able to do so and for the most part, do so for free. 2020 was indeed a shit year but how fitting that in a year where we all learned something valuable in general also provided a time where training thrived and caught fire.
Personally, for 2020, it was my goal to highlight those around me and help push what others were doing while finding a way to give back. At the time, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I was going to work my ass off to accomplish it. Although 2020 was a year like no other, I am truly grateful for it. I’m proud of the work I did this year and I’m happy that this year revealed the truth in some people. Many of you experienced seeing a side of people you never thought possible. It was easy to walk away from the vampires and concentrate on the ones who are doing amazing work and for the right reasons. Thank you for all the work you do in the Emergency Communications Center, training, tech, and beyond.
Thank you for the support this year. I want to wish you all a happy new year and I will leave you with one last thing. 2020 may have had many themes but I want to remember it as the year that we all decided to Dare to be Great.