Safety Courses
3 Day Advanced Dispatcher Update Course
The Advanced Dispatcher Update course is a three-day course designed for all dispatchers, including experienced Public Safety Dispatchers and Supervisors. It fulfills the California POST Commission Regulations 1005, 1008 and Procedure D-2 requirement that all Public Safety Dispatchers and Supervisors receive 24-hours of Continuing Professional Training every two years. The course is POST Plan II. This course consists of a series of modules that can be tailored to the needs of individual agencies and regions.
See list of course datesSee course dates in calendar form
Modules
9-1-1 Technology UpdateAlarms - What are they REALLY telling us?
Bug Out! Evacuating Your Communications Center
Call Taking, Dispatching, and the "Can-Do" Attitude
Courtroom Testimony and Demeanor
DMV Update
Dealing with Suicidal Callers
Disaster Preparedness - For the Comm Center, Home, and the Individual
Dispatching Major Incidents
Hazardous Materials Awareness
Hints and Tips - What Others Can Teach Us
Incident Command System/National Incident Management System Overview
Legal Update for Dispatchers and Call Takers
Resource and Referral
Scenario-Based Practical Exercises
Tactical Communications for Dispatchers and Call Takers
TDD/TTY Refresher for Dispatchers and Call Takers
The Role of the Dispatcher in Officer Safety
Tools for Survival - Managing Cumulative and Critical Incident Stress
Wellness in the Communications Center - From Pandemics to the Common Cold
Where in the World is your 9-1-1 Caller? Locating Non-Wireline 9-1-1 Callers
Workplace Violence - Awareness and Prevention
9-1-1 Technology Update
2 Hours. Updates Dispatchers on wireless 9-1-1 (Phase Zero, Phase One, Phase Two), voice over Internet (VoIP) callers, satellite phones, encryption, personal locator beacons (PLB's), GPS, and the status of emerging communications technologies. Taught by James O'Neil.
Alarms - What are they REALLY telling us?
2 Hours. Discusses alarm terminology, alarm types, and common alarm misconceptions. Introduces the concept of alternate alarm responses. Taught by James O'Neil.
Bug Out! Evacuating Your Communications Center
2 Hours. Introduces Dispatchers to the possibilities and options available to them when an evacuation of a Communications Center is required. Provides ideas and resources for students to take back to their agency to build a better evacuation plan prior to an emergency event. Taught by James O'Neil
Call Taking, Dispatching, and the "Can-Do" Attitude
2 Hours. A facilitated discussion among experienced dispatchers regarding what it means to provide good "customer service" in a modern 9-1-1 environment. Topics covered include: Respect for callers, co-workers, and allied agencies; attitudes and perceptions; the luxury of time vs. the busy 9-1-1 center; tips from other dispatchers and call takers; and other topics that are brought up by the students. Facilitated by Joseph Doherty and/or James O'Neil.
Courtroom Testimony and Demeanor
2 Hours. Prepares Dispatchers and Call Takers for testimony in court and hearings. The course discusses proper preparation, what to bring and what not to bring to court, how to answer questions, and the roles of the various court participants. This course also includes a mock trial as a practical exercise to demonstrate learned techniques. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
DMV Update
8 Hours. An interactive course, using educational gaming, presents the latest updates from the Department of Motor Vehicles that are pertinent to Public Safety personnel. Students are encouraged to bring their questions to class, and leave with a complete electronic copy of all of DMV's publications, as well as "inside" sources at DMV that can be contacted for additional support after the completion of the course.
Dealing with Suicidal Callers
8 Hours. Suicide is a growing concern among Public Safety personnel, particularly Dispatch. Not only the reporting parties who call 9-1-1, contemplating and/or acting upon a suicidal wish, but also co-workers who may be facing depression and suicidal thoughts confront the dispatcher with a stressful and intense interaction. This workshop will identify effective techniques for responding to suicidal subjects, as well as effective tools for self-care in the aftermath of a suicidal threat, or completed suicide. Taught by Janet Childs.
Disaster Preparedness - For the Comm Center, Home, and the Individual
4 Hours. An interactive look at how to identify pending potential disasters and how to best mitigate, prepare and handle them when they arise. Participants are encouraged to take an honest look at how well (or not) they are prepared to face challenges and to prepared to minimize the effects to themselves and their loved ones. Taught by Joseph Doherty.
Dispatching Major Incidents
4 Hours. Provides video and audio presentations of major incidents and how Dispatchers handled the incidents. Student discussions regarding lessons learned take place at the end of each incident. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
Hazardous Materials Awareness
4 Hours. A state certified HazMat instructor leads an interactive session to review and improve on dispatcher's skill levels when called upon to assist First Responders, Police, Fire and EMS personnel. During this course, participants will gain confidence in using common, as well as unconventional resources, to allow for the safe and efficient handling of routine and emergency situations. Taught by Joseph Doherty.
Hints and Tips - What Others Can Teach Us
2-4 Hours. Group-based exercises of incidents faced by Dispatchers and Call Takers. Students problem solve in groups and share their solutions with the class, and other students continue to share other possible solutions. This course enhances "out-of-the-box" thinking and provides alternative solutions to dispatch challenges. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
Incident Command System/National Incident Management System Overview
4 Hours. NIMS, SEMS, IMS, ICS. No matter what you call it, a management system must be understood by all concerned. As a dispatcher at the center of the incident, one must recognize what the terms relate to, who should be talking to whom, about what, and how it all fits together to handle any call or incident. Taught by Joseph Doherty.
Legal Update for Dispatchers and Call Takers
2 Hours. Provides an overview of California Laws that relate to Dispatchers, Call Takers, and Records personnel. The course also includes recent case law relating to Dispatchers and Call Takers. Taught by James O'Neil.
Resource and Referral
2 Hours. Provides a refresher of services, resources, and equipment offered via mutual aid and allied agencies. Introduces lists of agencies and organizations that are available for referral when conventional Public Safety Agencies have exhausted their options. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
Scenario-Based Practical Exercises
2-4 Hours. Provides tabletop, dispatch-specific, guided exercises. Scenarios become increasingly complex, and provide valuable training for future major events that Dispatchers are expected to manage. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
Tactical Communications for Dispatchers and Call Takers
4 Hours. Provides Dispatchers and Call Takers with the words and verbal tools to generate voluntary compliance from callers who are emotional, enraged, or refuse to respond to normal call-taking techniques. Role-playing at the end of the course allows participants to practice learned techniques. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Barry Lewis.
TDD/TTY Refresher for Dispatchers and Call Takers
2 Hours. Refresher course for dealing with hearing impaired callers using a TDD, TTY, or the California Relay Service. Includes call-taking techniques that are unique to the hearing impaired caller, including commonly used abbreviations. Taught by James O'Neil and/or Joseph Doherty.
The Role of the Dispatcher in Officer Safety
2 Hours. Reviews techniques for Dispatchers and Call Takers to increase the safety of the law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical personnel that they dispatch. Taught by James O'Neil.
Tools for Survival - Managing Cumulative and Critical Incident Stress
8 Hours. This course will give dispatchers and call takers a working understanding of post-traumatic stress and cumulative stress reactions as the natural response to loss, illness, change, trauma or death. Effective techniques for recognition and intervention will be practiced, and specific tools for healing and transforming the traumatic event will be explored. Participants will also examine the specific issues related to the dispatch profession and their unique delayed response to trauma. Taught by Janet Childs.
Wellness in the Communications Center - From Pandemics to the Common Cold
4 Hours. Many of us have already survived at least one mild pandemic. What if the pandemic is on a larger scale? How large does it have to be to disrupt our everyday lives? Can the potential exist that would change the way we go to work? Are communications centers preparing for a healthy workforce? This course looks at what has happened, is happening, can happen, and how we can keep ourselves as healthy as possible. Taught by Joseph Doherty.
Where in the World is your 9-1-1 Caller? Locating Non-Wireline 9-1-1 Callers
4 Hours. Provides Dispatchers and Call Takers with information on locating callers using wireless, cellular, satellite, and voice over Internet (VoIP) phones. Instructs students on call tracing techniques, standardized landmark validation, and standardized mapping coordinates. Taught by James O'Neil.
Workplace Violence - Awareness and Prevention
4-6 Hours. Using a two-prong approach, students are taught what workplace violence is, what are pre-event warning signs, and potential preventive measures for both external and internal incidents. Call-taking and tactical dispatching techniques are presented. The six-hour presentation also includes practical exercises to reinforce student-learning points. Taught by James O'Neil.