Alexandria, VA – Today a group of 9-1-1 organizations jointly announced that it finalized recommended minimum training guidelines for the nation’s 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers, culminating a two-year effort. The topics to be included in the recommended guidelines were identified by members of the following organizations, as well as other key stakeholders representing the 9-1-1 community, including:

• Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International
• Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection
• Denise Amber Lee Foundation
• Fairfax County (Virginia) Department of Public Safety
• Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network
• Hamilton County (Indiana) Public Safety Communications
• International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED)
• National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA)
• National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
• PowerPhone
• Priority Dispatch
• RedSky Technologies
• Rochester/Monroe County (New York) Emergency Communications Department
• Stafford County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office
• Vail (Colorado) Public Safety Communications Center
• Weakley County (Tennessee) Emergency 9-1-1

“The ultimate goal of these efforts is to ensure that the public receives a level of consistency and professionalism when dialing 9-1-1,” said APCO President Brent Lee. “In order to achieve this, it is vital that telecommunicators are provided with fundamental training regarding policies, procedures and protocols.”

While the National 9-1-1 Program has facilitated the project by providing a forum for discussion and development, the guidelines are not federally owned or mandated—rather, they are the joint product of members of the working group listed above.

The recommended minimum training guidelines cover the following topics:

• Telecommunicator roles and responsibilities
• 9-1-1 call processing
• Radio communications
• Emergency management
• Emergency communications technology
• Legal concepts
• Interpersonal communications
• Stress management
• Quality assurance
• On-the-job training guidelines

In addition, numerous subtopics were identified for each topic listed above. It should be noted that the topics identified in the guidelines provide minimum-level understanding. In order to field and manage emergency calls in a live environment, telecommunicators must receive supplemental training that will enable them to process the discipline-specific emergency calls that are fielded by their respective PSAP/9-1-1 center or emergency services provider.

The guidelines were vetted by the 9-1-1 community at large, via the NENA Workspace platform, before they were finalized. All comments received were adjudicated by a subcommittee formed specifically for this purpose; the subcommittee was comprised of working group members who had volunteered for the task.

“The comments received were positive and supportive of the effort, and the result,” said Laurie Flaherty, program manager for the National 9-1-1 Program. “This is a watershed moment for the 9-1-1 community, and many people put their heart and soul into making this momentous event happen.”

A parallel goal of the project was to develop model legislation for any state that does not currently have legislation concerning minimum training for telecommunicators. For those that do, the model legislation is intended as a baseline to ensure that the recommended minimum training topics are being covered.

APCO International® (www.apcointl.org)
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole.