Certifications - What You Will Aquire In a 911 Center

So you have decided you want to pursue the world of emergency communications or perhaps you have just entered the profession and are still unsure what to expect. Well first of all let me say congratulations and welcome. I hope you find this career as rewarding as I do. Just remember you will have alot of information flying at you and at a quick pace. If you are just now trying to get into the field, then I wish you good luck and hope you find what I have to share interesting.

The certifications I am about to talk about will give a little insight into what you will do and what to study on. Most of the certifications can be pursued on your own if you wish to increase your stats on your resume, you might want to take a look into them. As I go over each certification I will add a link to where you can find the help you need to get started.

This is your most basic of classes. While in this class you will learn proper call and radio etiquette. You will learn about call prioritization and the importance of following policies, procedures and protocols. It also stresses the importance of stress release and the different effects stress plays on your body and mind. You will also receive a basic overview of dispatching as a whole from the class and what types of situations you may encounter along the way. There are two companies that I am aware of that offer this certification through either course work that you can sign up for yourself, or through a shorter instructor based class that many who have already been hired by a center attend. The two companies that offer such certification are NAED and APCO, both websites are listed at the right.

Emergency medical dispatch is the certification that teaches you the protocol and procedures for medical calls. It walks you through the steps with the caller and allows you to gives you guidance on giving pre-arrival instructions. Some agencies use this and some don't. From what I could see in agencies that do use pre-arrival instructions you are guided step by step either through a flip book located at your work station or by a computer walk-through built into your CAD program. This course is also offered by the NAED and APCO and can be located through the links in the capsule above.

This one is right there with EMD, you must have a basic knowledge of CPR to understand what you are doing. Even though you are in a call center you are still a part of an emergency response team and most agencies will require you to have this basic knowledge. These classes are taught by local fire departments, rescue squads, ambulance services or even hospitals. Check around your local area for an instructor near you to get a head start on this one.

This is the certification where you get to learn how to enter and run wanted people, stolen cars, and a whole list of other things. You will most likely do this by taking training at your state level center. In Tennessee you get to spend 4 days at Tennessee Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Nashville. I really enjoyed this class but they throw a lot of information at you in those 4 days. This certification has to be renewed every 2 years to stay current and every center that uses this system must have a certified operator on duty at all times. The link to the right will take you to the FBI - NCIC page that can explain more in depth what the system is all about.

After 9/11 the government decided to develop a standard for response to major incidents. This would be to have a more organized response and to be able to account for the personnel and the supplies for a major incident. These same policies are being implemented in local responses as well and as a 911 dispatcher your the initial incident commander on any emergency. That role changes once a first responder gets to the scene but you still play an important role in the incident. These classes will help you understand your responsibilities and why this system has been implemented. There are several different course to take and all are offered online through FEMA. The link to the right will take you to the online testing for these certificates.