Telecommunications
COURSE NAME
COURSE OVERVIEW
There has always been a long-standing focus on what individuals can do to enhance their health and wellness; however, any gains that an individual might make in their individual intervention will be less impactful and less long-lasting if their PSAP is suffering. In this course, Dr. Michelle Lilly with discuss the current challenges that affect employee health and wellness in PSAPs, organizational level interventions that can be implemented to enhance health and wellness in employees, and ways to engage mental health practitioners to work with PSAPs who offer gold standard treatments.
Telecommunicators face many challenges in PSAPs that they have no control over, which can cause an immense amount of stress. This course will help telecommunicators think about different ways that they can approach those stressors, particularly things that they cannot control, and ways to bolster their resilience. In this course, Dr. Michelle Lilly will discuss resilience mindset and provide work-related and non-work-related examples and how values-driven living that can bolster resilience.
It is vital for telecommunicators to have a basic understanding of how radio communications work and the limitations and pitfalls they can encounter while using the system because radio communications is a lifeline between the telecommunicator and those in the field. In this course, Jamie Taylor will discuss radio technology and equipment, radio discipline, common pitfalls in radio communication, and the rules set out by the FCC.
Moral injury is a recent phenomenon in the clinical psychology literature, but from preliminary evidence, we know that first responders are at risk of experiencing morally injurious events that lead to telecommunicators struggling both mentally and physically. In this course, Dr. Michelle Lilly will discuss what moral injuries are, the positive benefits of disclosure and peer support, and how seeking the assistance of a trained mental health practitioner is their best way of processing and recovering from these events.
There is a lot of misinformation about PTSD, the symptoms of it, the prevalence rate, and it is vital for dispatchers to get accurate information so they can more accurately identify their risk for PTSD. We all tent to want to cope with traumatic events by avoiding thinking about them, but when we rely on avoidant coping to manage our distress, it has an increased likelihood of prolonging our distress over time. In this course, Dr. Michelle Lilly will discuss PTSD and its symptoms, the prevalence of PTSD and related conditions in 9-1-1, and some treatment options of PTSD.
It is a myth that there are leaders and there are followers. Everyone's a leader. Whether you are a frontline dispatcher or a supervisor, you lead from where you are. It only takes one person to help empower people and get buy-in to change things for the better. In this course, Dru Clarke, ENP, will discuss how to create a clear vision of what leadership looks like on each level, how to shift into new leadership paradigms, and how to develop ways of coaching and mentoring.
Having a sense of purpose as a telecommunicator will ignite passion and fuel your performance. Your purpose is a living, breathing, dynamic identity within you that will help you find the solutions for many of the problems you face in your PSAP. In this course, Dru Clarke, ENP, will discuss the key principles of purpose and ways you can create the conditions necessary for your purpose to naturally unfold.
In this course, Dawn Shumway discuss some tools help foster effective communication with your caller, human responses and why what may seem irrational is actually rational, some word tips that will add tools to your toolbox for everyday use, and the importance of being kind.
In this course Leah Missildine and Sara Weston, PMP, ENP will talk about the fears and objections to next generation 9-1-1 and emphasize the importance of telecommunicators asking questions and having a voice in the future of their centers and in the future of 9-1-1. They will explain the benefits of embracing this new technology, outline basic NG9-1-1 terminology, and discuss what you can expect at your center when transitions to NG9-1-1.
To be truly effective, a CTO must be effective at both providing instruction to trainees in a one-on-one exchange and in a classroom environment. The 9-1-1 training blueprint teaches CTOs how to create an experience that leaves the trainee feeling confidently prepared for the next step in their journey. In this course, Dominique Mathis, MS Ed will discuss the current teaching styles, how to get maximum learning impact, and how to overcome challenges posed by working as a team with other classroom instructors.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a large structure that shows the progression from one level of learning to another, and just having knowledge of this structure can help training programs become more effective and faster. In this course, JC Ferguson will discuss the three domains of learning and how to develop curriculum for initial education, continuing education, training plans, and performance improvement plans.
In this course, JC Ferguson will discuss how to listen empathically and critically, how to feel what someone else if feeling, and how to answer why people are doing things so that you can pick up as much information as possible that will help achieve the best outcome of a call.
No matter what position we hold, we all report to someone and have directives we must follow. The success of effective organizations and great systems do not solely depend on leadership. They depend on the ability of the masses to follow through and carry out the leader’s initiatives. It’s time we realize that the culture and well-being of our Emergency Communication Centers would benefit immensely from incorporating a “focus on following” to our professional development offerings. This course is for everyone who works within a chain of command and is interested in sustaining mission-driven teams.
The 9-1-1 profession is changing dramatically, so it is more imperative than ever that agencies have a great policy manual that is kept updated and relevant. In this course, Doug Showalter and Leslie Whitham will discuss how to write policies, how to maintain relevant policies for your communications center, and how to review policies and strengthen them.
Agencies across the country are facing staffing issues. Employees at all levels need to be empowered to be part of their agency’s recruitment program. In this course Leslie Whitham and Doug Showalter are going to discuss how to end staffing issues by improving recruitment, interviews, and onboarding.
Being a leader is not an easy task. Let us be honest, you may have been called an “overpaid babysitter” at least once in your careers. Telecommunications Supervisors have one of the hardest roles in the Communications Centers. You are responsible for the day-to-day operations 24/7/365. After the completion of this course, you will be a proactive supervisor, apply techniques to engage your team, and develop characteristics/qualities to be an effective leader.
Recognition programs help give telecommunicators a sense of appreciation that is lacking across the country. In this course, Leslie Whitham and Doug Showalter will discuss the importance of building a great recognition program at a communications center and how any level of employee can take steps to create a program which will lead to greater employee satisfaction and retention.
In this course, Sondra Wesley will explain what video to 9-1-1 is, identify elements agencies should consider when implementing video to 9-1-1, and positive impacts video to 9-1-1 can have for the telecommunicator’s mental health.
In this course, Leslie Whitham, ENP, will discuss the value and importance of understanding the mission of your PSAP. She will talk about how to interpret your agency’s mission and how to apply that mission to your decision-making. This course will also help you develop a guide for action and making decisions
In this course, Leslie Whitham, ENP will discuss how to be prepared in your communications center before the phone even rings. She will outline some techniques that will help telecommunicators to rewire their brains to look at their jobs differently and be physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared.
In this course, Jodi Springer will be discussing her experience in creating a public education program. She will discuss how to create content and materials to help train the citizens you serve and how to develop a better relationship between your agency, your responders, and the citizens you all serve
Climate change has increased the risk for wildland fires around the world. There is an ever-increasing need for telecommunicators to prepare for wildland fire calls. In this course, Tracy Ertl will share best practices telecommunicators should follow during wildland fires. She will cover subjects such as data on wildfires, the National Fire Danger Rating System, the dangers fires pose to callers and first responders, and the need for specialized skills and responses to wildland fire calls.
In the world of positive psychology, appreciation is directly connected with improved mental health, which means happier employees. In this course, Doug Showalter will explain how appreciating your employees can lead to more employee motivation as well as ideas and strategies for creating a sense of appreciation in your agency.
In this course, Doug Showalter will talk about how to train for success by evaluating your agency’s training program, creating an engaging training experience, and writing DORs that will help your trainees succeed.
In today’s diverse environment, it is vital to know how to navigate and embrace diversity to create a safe and effective environment in the PSAP. In this course, Carl Smith shares his expertise in how to develop a mindset of curiosity rather than judgement, build trust, and create mutual respect and understanding in relationships.
This course discusses dispatching for fires in high-rise buildings. In this one-hour session, Tracy Ertl discusses statistics concerning high-rise fires, challenges and solutions for communications during fires, and the importance of pre-fire planning and EOPs.
This course discusses active threat response for fire communications. In this one-hour session, Tracy Ertl discusses topics such as the challenges of working an active threat situation, important terminology related to active threat cases, and the background and creation of NFPA 3000.
In this course, Retired Chief Tim Christol will discuss how leadership within an agency can create and execute a career development plan. This course will cover how career development plans can help attract new employees and retain current employees as well as how leadership can build the partnership they need with their employees to help them grow.
In this course, Retired Chief Tim Christol will discuss how to create and execute a career development plan. This course will cover the importance of defining your personal mission, vision, and values, knowing your agency’s mission, vision, and values, and some techniques that can help you get to where you want to go.
In this course, Retired Police Chief Tim Christol will explain how mission, vision, and values affect the culture of the organization and how agencies can blend personal, professional, and social mission, vision, and values to provide effective community service, build trust, and provide the transparency the community expects.
Emotional intelligence is vital for building trust and connections, which leads to effective and clear communication. In this course, Carl Smith will explain how to use emotional intelligence to better communicate and engage with people to achieve mutual respect and understanding. He will cover the emotional intelligence model, communication factors, and assertive communication.
In this course, Jennifer Schwendimann will explain what a quality assurance and quality improvement program is, why it is important, and how to begin a QA/QI program.
This course is a recording of Creating Effective Training Programs filmed at NENA’s 2022 Conference Expo in Louisville, KY. Rob McMullen, ENP and Kelly Sanders-Kelley lead a discussion about ways to build a training program within your PSAP, including performing a needs assessment, implementing adult learning principles, and finding various types of training resources.
In this one-hour course, Tracy Eldridge discusses the basics of emergency medical dispatch, including the responsibilities of EMD, legal and liability issues, and methods for obtaining information from callers.
This course discusses how to better understand yourself and others by using the DISC personality assessment. In this one-hour session, Tracy Eldridge identifies and discusses the four main DISC personality types and how understanding these types can allow you to build better connections with others.
This one-hour course focuses on how consideration, communication, and consistency can help build trust between dispatchers and field responders.
Any time you bring a diverse group of people together into a work environment that is at times both emotionally stressful and highly technical, coupled with the demands for accuracy, speed, and professionalism, there will be opportunities for interpersonal conflict or performance issues. In this course, Christine Massengale will discuss how to have difficult conversations with employees, including how to avoid the pitfalls of the judgement zone while addressing behaviors that impact performance and how to avoid the awkward aftermath of a difficult conversation.
Many people believe that leadership requires a rank or title within an organization, but this course takes a different approach to leadership and what it means to be a leader in your PSAP. In this one-hour session, Doug Showalter discusses how to develop new skills, a new attitude, and a new approach to leadership.
After reading the best-selling book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” Showalter & Company thought, why are we just reacting to inevitable changes when we can anticipate and plan for them, so we can be proactive? Considering the ever-changing environment of 9-1-1, we all need to rely on our ability to adapt to these new challenges by empowering and emboldening our employees to not only accept change but to thrive in our new world of 9-1-1. This course seeks to blend successful private business practices into public safety communications. We are dedicated to empowering all 9-1-1 professionals to move their own cheese.
This course will explore some best practices for interacting with callers who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. The goal of the course is to help telecommunicators to be better able to help callers with Autism by understanding the characteristics of Autism, how people on the spectrum communicate, and how to identify red flags that the caller is on the spectrum.
This is a refresher course of the T-CPR course that focuses on the importance of implementing a T-CPR protocol in the PSAP, how to recognize the symptoms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and how to overcome barriers on OHCA calls. This course provides a sample Telecommunicator CPR protocol based on the CPR LifeLinks initiative created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
This course is a condensed version of the five-hour specialized training course Foundations of Emergency Mental Health Dispatching. It will provide 9-1-1 professionals with a set of key insights into the EMHD skill set and the tools you need to rally the EMHD Mindset, including personal resilience skills and resources designed for 9-1-1 use in real-time to optimize call performance with callers-at-risk.
This course is a discussion led by Ricardo Martinez and Sara Weston with a class of telecommunicators to impart the importance of storytelling in 9-1-1. Everyone has a story, and this course discusses how you can use your stories to help change the public’s perception of 9-1-1, encourage growth and sharing in your community, and help callers all through the power of storytelling
The 9-1-1 professional is a hero, and heroes wear capes. The 9-1-1 cape helps protect you from tough calls, helps you fight depression, and allows you to have a long, successful career in 9-1-1. This course discusses how you have the ability to change and build your cape over time. We will cover how to build your cape with skills to help shield you from the stress and trauma of the 9-1-1 profession as well as ways to combat negativity.
This course covers bullying behavior in the PSAP and how to maintain positive interpersonal communications among team members. Students will discuss topics such as how to identify bullying behavior, how to combat bullying behavior, and strategies to establish positive interpersonal communications in t the 9-1-1 center.
This two hour course covers the basic knowledge and skills necessary for the modern fire dispatcher. Students will discuss topics such as fire terminology, mayday protocol, and fire department response for both fire and non-fire situations.
This course will examine the national and state efforts in developing and implementing protection strategies relating to children and seniors. The AMBER Alert and Silver Alert initiatives will be examined with particular attention given to best practices for telecommunicators to follow.
This course provides telecommunicators with a pragmatic understanding, reflection, and discussion of ethical issues and dilemmas in the workplace. Participants will engage in exercises to further determine their own ethics and how to effectively apply them within their organization.
This course is a condensed primer of the specialized five-hour training The Power of Peer Support. Even the best and most seasoned dispatchers can struggle. More and more of our PSAPs have experienced major traumatic experiences they didn’t know how to face. But what happens when your PSAP family is prepared to work alongside each other as you travel through these hardships? You can prevent burnout, improve morale, and prevent turnover. Whether your agency is planning to build a Certified Peer Support Program or not, this introductory course is a great way to learn about the critical basics and benefits of peer support.
The ultimate goal of peer support is to enhance well-being of agencies and their telecommunicators. This course covers the basics of peer support as well as its benefits and provides strategies you can use to provide basic peer support.
This course is an abbreviated edition of the 9-1-1 Training Institute’s five-hour specialized training on recognizing and managing the stress that comes with being a telecommunicator, including having a resilient mindset and techniques to deal with stressors while on the job and in your personal life.
This training goes into detail explaining types of harassment and discrimination, including hostile work environments and complaint retaliation. It also lays out what the goals of a workplace should be and gives two case studies of harassment cases.
This training defines types of harassment and discrimination, laws that protect against such behavior, and terms associated with harassment and discrimination.
This course will cover an overview of the issue of child abuse covering topics such as the nature of child abuse, family dynamics, characteristics of abusive parents, theories of child abuse, and possible effects of abuse.
Child Sex Abuse 2020 provides an overview of child physical and sexual abuse. This course will discuss family dynamics, factors that potentially lead to abuse, and characteristics of abusive and neglectful parents. It will also cover characteristics of pedophiles.
This course exposes the attendee to various thoughts and considerations on their initial response to the scene and the gravity that evidence plays in making their investigation better. It also explores the pitfalls or “most common” errors that officers make during their investigation. Different terms and concepts will be addressed to enable the officer to have a clearer view of potential evidence.
Most 9-1-1 professionals do their best to manage calls with those struggling with suicide. However, traditionally, these very first responders lack adequate training on the topic. This two hour course is a powerful introduction to Building LifeBridges to Suicide Callers, an expertly-designed training based on the science of suicidology and customized specifically for the 9-1-1 professional’s work at the console. While at least eight hours of such training is needed to achieve call mastery with these call types, this session provides dispatchers with a solid foundation to improve their emergency response and to protect their own resilience
Human trafficking is a growing problem throughout the world. This presentation focuses on what human trafficking is and provides information for 9-1-1 telecommunicators on how to recognize a possible victim or witness in a human trafficking call for service.
Designed primarily for new telecommunicators, this course will review some of the common call classifications for law, fire, and EMS. This segment will also identify three common call classifications that are often confused by new telecommunicators.
Every year in the U.S., there are an estimated 250,000 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The average survival rate is 10%. This course provides a sample Telecommunicator CPR protocol based on the CPR LifeLinks initiative created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This course explains the importance of implementing a T-CPR protocol in the PSAP, teaches the telecommunicator how to recognize the symptoms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, provides a sample protocol of T-CPR instructions, and explains how to overcome barriers on OHCA calls.
From the first line to senior staff, law enforcement officers use communication skills to direct, inform, and persuade others to behave in a certain manner. These techniques help to keep our citizens safe so we can complete our overall mission to "serve and protect." Understanding how we communicate with others while considering emotions, experiences, and levels of understanding allows us to confer clearer messages and engage in more effective use of our words, actions, and emotions.
Hiring the right fit and preparing those employees for a lifelong journey in mental and physical wellness in this profession and beyond is the foundation of this course. It contains tools to assist the 9-1-1 professional in managing vicarious trauma and the importance of deploying these resources in daily life.
This course provides an overview of what PSAPs should know when considering implementing a quality assurance process. It discusses the various recommended processes for conducting call review from how the call is answered and processed to how the call is dispatched. The three major disciplines (police, fire, and emergency medical call processing) are discussed in depth. The new APCO/NENA ANS 1.107.1.2015 Standard for the Establishment of a Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Program for Public Safety Answering Points is also covered.
Ensure you give all citizens access to public safety services by offering a text-to-911 solution. You will be presented with costs as well as technical and operational considerations when making decisions to deploy a solution.
This training uses tactical breath work, physical drills, and cognitive behavioral therapy to achieve optimal functioning of the entire psychophysiological system, including increasing mental toughness, enhancing tactical skills, preventing injury, practicing self de-escalation, and more. Participants will learn techniques to use right away along with resources to continue their training.
This course educates correctional officers on ethics, values, and principles. It details the types of failures that can befall officers who lack a strong belief system. The goal of the course is to help officers recognize issues that can lead to dismissal, criminal charges, and even bodily harm from improper character and behavior within a facility.
Telecommunicators within the 9-1-1 industry endure severe and repetitive stressors throughout their careers. This course highlights what body systems are affected by stress, how those systems respond to and recover from stress, and how the telecommunicator can effectively manage stress for a more productive life.
A front-line supervisor in the PSAP is quite possibly the hardest yet most powerful position in the agency. This course will review a few of the biggest obstacles supervisors encounter and give best practices techniques to handle them. The discussion will cover the basic skills, knowledge, and abilities needed in supervision; various leadership methods; conflict resolution; counseling & disciplinary; proper documentation; and knowing your overall mission.
Servant leadership turns the power pyramid upside down. Instead of the people working to serve their leader, the leader is there to serve their people. In this session, learn how you can use this philosophy of serving to unlock, drive, motivate, and create higher-performing teams and better-fulfilled employees.
This course is designed to define terms associated with an active violence event, identify tactics used by first responders with which the telecommunicator may not be familiar, and discuss options when a person finds themselves in an active violence event.
This one-hour session will cover various personnel issues and explore options for addressing these issues. Supervisors often feel frustrated and helpless when confronted with negative behaviors from their employees. This course will review successful tactics that can be used to help guide the employees back to positive productivity.
Interpersonal communication skills are essential for developing working and personal relationships. This course will explore the various skills involved with interpersonal communication. It will introduce you to why these skills are beneficial, how they are used, and when to use them. We will also cover the importance of handling confrontation properly, identifying triggers that could cause you to lose your temper, and how to manage difficult relationships.
Intimidated by HR? You don’t have to be! This course explains the laws pertaining to FMLA, ADA, and hiring in basic terms. Real-world examples will clarify their purpose, and we will further separate myth from fact by examining what they mean for daily operations in the PSAP. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the most common HR issues and resources to help learn more.
Most supervisors view counseling and discipline as the most undesirable part of their job. However, they serve a vital purpose, and when done correctly and consistently, counseling and discipline can foster a productive and cohesive work environment. This course provides methods for conducting counseling and explains the concept of progressive discipline as well as the benefits of doing it effectively.
This course will explore national standards for call answering and call screening for 9-1-1 call centers.
This course will provide an understanding of the impact and challenges of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emergency on telecommunicators, responders, and family members and how to incorporate those challenges into skills needed to gather information when processing these calls for service.
Law enforcement agencies have generally ignored officer-involved domestic violence and allowed batterers to continue wearing a badge, enforcing domestic violence laws that they violate themselves. This program encourages law enforcement officials to adopt zero tolerance for this. The program also describes the many stressors of a law enforcement career and how to deal with those stressors.
Tactical communication training will provide you with career-building, career-changing, and even career-saving conflict prevention and conflict resolution communication tactics. You will learn how to be a tactical communicator and keep yourself safe while reducing stress when dealing with citizens, fellow professionals, and people in your personal life.