Ninety Dispatchers Attend Training at APD

On Monday, February 22, and Tuesday, February 23, the Amherst Public Safety Communications Center hosted 90 professionals from across the state at a training course aiming to help Dispatchers better identify threats to Officers and establish a safer environment for both callers and law enforcement responders alike.

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The course, presented by PowerPhone and titled "Protecting Law Enforcement Responders," was instructed by Deb King, a 17-year veteran of Emergency Communications from the Castle Rock Police Department, in Castle Rock, Colorado. Dispatchers from local agencies including the Amherst College Police Department, Northampton Public Safety, the Granby Police Department, and the Montague Police Department joined Dispatchers from as far as Ashby, Acton, and Lynn to attend the presentation which focused on the Dispatcher's role in law enforcement and how that affects an Officer's response to calls for service.

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Topics of the class included domestic violence, active shooting response, and suicide intervention, and discussion focused on the threats and hazards that Officers face while responding to these types of calls. The class also dealt with advanced call-taking techniques and how the information gathered could be more effectively relayed to Officers in the field. Dispatchers were able to relate their own experiences to the topics and share information about how they handle crisis calls in their own jurisdictions.
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Amherst Dispatcher Elizabeth Chudzik, who has worked in the Communications Center for more than ten years, attended the course and said, "Training opportunities like this are an integral part in not only maintaining but also enhancing our professional Communications Center. The information that I'll take away will make me a well-rounded Dispatcher."

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Dispatchers in the Communications Center are required to attend courses and professional development seminars in order to maintain certifications in areas including CPR, for both adults and children, as well as EMD, or Emergency Medical Dispatch which is used by Emergency Dispatchers to provide pre-arrival instructions to callers seeking emergency medical services.

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According to their website, PowerPhone has trained more than 150,000 Emergency Dispatchers and Telecommunicators internationally in areas of public safety, law enforcement, and fire and EMS services. Dispatchers from Amherst have attended PowerPhone courses in the past, but this was the first time that a session was held here and hosted by the department. Funding for the course was provided by the State 911 Training Grant Program which awards primary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) reimbursement for training-related costs associated with the 911 system.

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This may have been the first time that the Amherst Public Safety Communications Center has hosted a class, but, based on its success and on how well it brought together professionals in the field, hopefully it won't be the last.