Dispatch Coordination
Coordinate trusted responders using the ICE Tea Dispatch system.
Dispatch Coordination
Coordinating responders in urgent, high-stakes environments requires a calm head, clear tools, and earned trust. This course prepares you to use the ICE Tea Dispatch platform to activate field support, maintain situational awareness, and uphold community safety.
Info
This course is for volunteers seeking certification as dispatchers. It includes practical operations, ethical considerations, and platform mechanics.
What Is Dispatch?
Dispatch is the real-time coordination of field teams in response to verified threats, arrests, and other state actions. In ICE Tea, dispatchers act as:
- Signal routers
- Trust anchors
- Strategy filters
- Emotional stabilizers
Core Responsibilities
| Duty | Description |
|---|---|
| Receive reports | Monitor and verify incoming ICE or law enforcement sightings |
| Activate roles | Assign roles like medics, legal observers, and de-escalators |
| Track and update | Maintain real-time visibility of each dispatch |
| Protect info | Handle encrypted reports responsibly, never screenshot or forward recklessly |
| Debrief & learn | Log outcomes, assess gaps, update playbooks |
Dispatcher Progression Path
Dispatch certification happens in stages. Each level builds trust and access over time.
| Level | What They Can Do | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 🧑🤝🧑 Team Member | Observe alerts, submit public reports, attend intro calls | Complete intake form and community orientation |
| 🟢 Basic Dispatcher | View internal notes, volunteer to help coordinate | Qualified in ICE Tea Watch, Reporting, and Ethics |
| ✅ Verified Dispatcher | Create/close dispatches, assign roles, contact field teams | Certified in dispatcher track + shadowed shift |
| 🔒 Admin Dispatcher | Coordinate shifts, override dispatches, audit logs, escalate roles | Nominated by team + advanced trust certification |
Info
Each level increases responsibility and system access. You don’t need to rush — trust builds through action and accountability.
Dispatcher Access Levels
| Level | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Basic Dispatcher | View active dispatches, assist Verified Dispatchers |
| ✅ Verified Dispatcher | Full coordination rights: assign roles, update logs, contact field teams |
| 🔒 Admin Dispatcher | Manage users, override errors, lead training, audit sensitive data |
Dispatch Lifecycle
Each dispatch flows through the following stages:
- Report submitted
- May include passphrase-encrypted content
- Human review or auto-verification
- Verified Dispatcher picks it up
- Initial triage and threat confirmation
- Identify coverage needs
- Team roles filled
- Baisc Dispatcher may volunteer to be the active Dispater for the event.
- Pull from trusted volunteers with required availability and role
- Live coordination
- Monitor, update, relay ground signals or chat
- Close and archive
- Add final status, notes, after action report (AAR) and audit log
Success
You are not alone — even a solo dispatcher can signal for help, request Admin review, or escalate to regional organizers.
The Dispatcher Dashboard
Basic dispatchers see the Live Dispatch Map, where they can:
- View incoming and active dispatches
- Click into detail views
- Assign roles from verified volunteers
- Leave status updates or log decisions
Role Assignment
Dispatchers balance:
- ⚠️ Risk level (e.g., legal observer = high)
- ✅ Required skills
- 🕒 Availability
- 📍 Geography
- 🏷️ Identity tags (e.g., Spanish-speaking, trauma-informed)
Warning
Common mistake: Favoring familiar faces instead of balancing coverage and suitability.
Recommended ratio: 2 legal observers per 5 field members when possible.
Encryption & Safety
If a report is encrypted with a passphrase, it will be unreadable until:
- The correct key is provided, or
- The submitter shares the decryption string securely
Important
Never mention decrypted content outside secure channels. Assume all chat logs are monitored.
Secure Passphrase Tips
✅ Do:
- Use 5+ random words ("correct-horse-battery-staple")
- Share via Signal/Keybase only
- Rotate after sensitive events
❌ Don't:
- Use personal info
- Reuse across reports
- Share in plaintext
Urgent Coordination Flows
| Event Type | Action |
|---|---|
| Active raid | Deploy field safety + legal observer + medic immediately |
| Checkpoint | Use prebuilt config for rapid mobilization |
| Court support | Notify care and presence teams ahead of time |
| Child separation | Prioritize trauma-informed volunteers |
Use templates to speed up coordination and avoid decision fatigue.
Special Features
- 🔐 End-to-end encryption
- 🔄 Auto-updating audit logs
- 📍 Geofiltered role matching
- 🧠 Carry-over notes across events
- 📅 Integrated shift coverage (Soon)
Ethical Dispatcher Mindset
- Be calm under pressure
- Communicate transparently
- Ask for help when unsure
- Step back if others are better suited
Warning
NEVER assign someone to a dispatch without consent, capacity check, and risk briefing.
Post-Dispatch
After a dispatch is closed:
- Write a summary in the system log
- Check that all field members are safe
- Log pain points and possible improvements
- Escalate lingering concerns to Admin
Scenario Practice
Scenario 1: Urgent Checkpoint
You receive a report outside a school. It's marked urgent.
Steps:
- Verify via photo or 2nd source
- Choose team config: monitor, legal observer, care, de-escalator
- Assign based on availability and proximity
- Notify group chat → mark "En Route"
- Track and adjust in real-time
Would you request backup? Archive if unverified? Pause for breath?
Scenario 2: Unverified Social Media Rumor
Tweet says: "ICE at Main St. Walmart NOW!"
- No source, no image
- No known submitter
Steps:
- Flag "Unverified"
- Check with trusted monitors (potential for scouting dispatch)
- Archive if no confirmation in 30 minutes
Rabbit Hole
🧮 Create Load-Balancing Models for Volunteers Learn how mutual aid groups avoid burnout via role cycling. → Resource: “Mutual Aid Infrastructure Design” PDF by BigDoorBrigade
Rabbit Hole
📋 Run Simulation Scenarios Design tabletop exercises for ambiguous or high-pressure dispatch situations. → Try: Red Teaming playbooks for civil resistance
Checklist Before Certifying
- I understand the dispatch lifecycle
- I know how to verify and assign roles
- I can work with encrypted reports securely
- I commit to informed, consent-based assignments
- I am ready to ask for backup when needed
Success
Being a dispatcher is an act of solidarity. Coordinate with humility, clarity, and care.
📘 Knowledge Check
What is the primary role of a dispatcher in the ICE Tea ecosystem?
A dispatcher should assign volunteers to roles even if they haven’t confirmed their consent yet, as long as it’s urgent.
Which of the following responsibilities fall under a dispatcher’s role?
What should a dispatcher do if a submitted report is encrypted and unreadable?
What does the dispatcher dashboard (Live Dispatch Map) allow you to do?
Only Admin Dispatchers can manage users and access full system controls.
What factors should a dispatcher consider when assigning a field role?
In an urgent ICE raid, which of the following roles should be activated immediately?
Why are pre-built dispatch templates important?
After a dispatch is closed, what is one responsible action a dispatcher should take?
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