Course Descriptions

Your Premier Training Company

for the 9-1-1 Industry and Beyond

Customer Service (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200706

Recommended for all

Customer service skills can increase your value to your organizations, improve relationships with the agencies you work with and advance your career at the same time.

Topics covered:

· Why worry about customer service?

· Service beliefs

· Who are the customers?

· Meeting expectations

· Becoming effective in communicating with customers

· Opportunities within the scope of your authority for working effectively with others

· Fair and responsible response to all customers

40-Hour Advanced Dispatch School (5 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200808A

Recommended for all who work in dispatch.  This class satisfies the Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee’s Recommendation for Minimum Telecommunicator Training Standards

This 40-Hour course includes:

· 9-1-1 Liability

· Suicide Intervention

· The Telecommunicator’s Role in Homeland Security

· Domestic Violence

· Stress Management

9-1-1 Liability (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200803

Recommended for all 9-1-1 Professionals

· Understand liability risks from the 9-1-1 perspective

· Learn about different types of liability related to the field

· Learn ways to reduce exposure to 9-1-1 liability

A Matter of Life and Death (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200602

Recommended for all who answer and/or dispatch the 9-1-1 call

· Learn practical applications for identifying and understanding at risk groups for life & death behaviors/situations

· Learn how to respond to a caller in a life & death situation while maintaining professionalism, personal demeanor, and control

· Learn how everyday conditioning can assist in a crisis situation with a responder in trouble or down

· Learn new coping and stress management skills to deal with every day stressors of the job as well as life & death circumstances that dispatchers deal with on a regular basis

Topics Covered:

· Callers with Mental Illness (Self Mutilators, Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia)

· Suicidal Callers

· Responder Down

· Coping Skills and Stress Management

Cultural Diversity (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200709

Recommended for all

As the dramatic shift to a highly diverse workforce continues, we must understand, accept and capitalize on our differences. In this class, we will:

· Explore diversity issues in 4 key areas:  Knowledge, Understanding, Acceptance and Behavior

· Discover your current comfort level

· Gain insight

· Take action

· Value diversity

Anger Management (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200804

Recommended for those who want to learn how to deal with their own anger and the anger of others

A comprehensive approach for dealing with anger and how it affects our bodies, our minds and our behaviors.

· Learn methods to break old patterns and replace them with new ones

· Learn to control your own emotions when faced with other peoples’ anger

· Identify ways to help other people safely manage some of their repressed or expressed anger

Conflict Management (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200804A

Recommended for all

Topics covered:

· Discovering what conflict is about

· Why people don’t do what they are supposed to do

· Causes of difficult behavior

· Reciprocal relationships

· Dealing with change

· Responsibility for positive change

· Changing yourself

· Preventing problems

· Coping with criticism

· 8 step process for dealing with problems

· Importance of good communication

· Dealing with difficult attitudes

 

Conflict Resolution (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200702

Recommended for all

· Recognize how your own attitudes and actions impact others

· Find new and effective techniques for managing negative emotions

· Develop coping strategies for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations

· Identify those times when you have the right to walk away from a difficult situation

· Understand yourself as part of a team through the use of the Team Dimensions Profile

· Understand Team Patterns

· Learn How to Be Part of the Team by Understanding and Dealing with our Differences

· Combating Negativity

· Realize That Together is Better!

Team Building (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200601

Recommended for all

Train the Trainer (3 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200812A

Recommended for all who desire to advance their skills or become
 a trainer

· Understand different learning styles and adult learning principles

· Become skilled at writing objectives

· Learn to evaluate whether or not objectives have been met

· Develop an effective training style

· Learn to use training aids and techniques appropriately

Professional Dispatch (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES #SCC200811A

Recommended for all who answer and/or dispatch the 9-1-1 call

Clearly understand what it means to be a professional in your communications center.

· Learn how it all began and what the definition of emergency 9-1-1 Telecommunicator means

· Identify key areas of growth for individuals, the center and the profession

· Develop new resources to further yourself, your job and your center

· Understand how you and technology will evolve into the Emergency Communications Specialists of the future

Nix the Negativity in the Workplace (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200811B

Recommended for All

This class will help you understand how communication in all forms influences your interactions with others.

· Understand the concepts of what negativity is and where it comes from

· Learn how to head off negative statements and thoughts and phrases

· Realize that negativity is a learned behavior and that you can learn how to turn it around

· Determine ways to combat negative thinking

· Understand strategies for turning negative thinking into positive thinking

Domestic Violence (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200809A

Recommended for all

· Learn about the history of domestic violence

· Why victims stay

· Why PPO’s often get cancelled

· What you can do to help 

 

Leadership II:

The Professional Supervisor (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200704

Recommended for Supervisors who have been in their position for at least 18 months (newer supervisors should take “Becoming a Great Supervisor”, first).

This class is geared toward those who supervise others.

· Understand the scope and nature of the supervisory position

· Learn ways to deal with the challenges of the supervisory role

· Recognize the responsibilities you have as a supervisor to yourself, your team and your organizations

· Identify key techniques to help plan and prioritize effectively

· Develop strategies for leadership and dealing with difficult employees

Leadership III:

The Professional Supervisor-advanced (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200705

Recommended for those who have already taken “The Professional Supervisor”.

This class builds upon the skills acquired in the “Professional Supervisor” course.

· Develop strategies for leadership team building, communication and motivation

· Learn what, when and how to delegate

· Acquire new skills for conflict resolution

· Learn to use the tools and techniques learned to become an effective supervisor

Leadership I:

Becoming a Great Supervisor (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200603

Recommended for newer supervisors (less than 18 months in the position), CTO’s, and those who would like to become supervisors.

If you are a newer supervisor, CTO or want to become a supervisor, this is the class for you. 

Learn to:

· Clarify roles and responsibilities of a supervisor

· Adjust to your new role with confidence and an assurance that you can excel in this position

· Develop your communication skills in listening, asking questions and giving feedback

· Develop a technique for making sure you give instructions that are clear and understood

· Identify some techniques to overcome people challenges such as hostility, complaints and laziness

· Recognize the importance of being visible and available

40-Hour Beginning Dispatch School (5 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200707

Recommended for all beginning dispatchers/call-takers.  This class satisfies the recommendations of the Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee to be completed within 18 months of hire

· Overview of Public Safety (Police-Fire-EMS)

· Telecommunicator Roles and Responsibilities

· Develop an understanding of the legal aspects of dispatching

· Understand and articulate the importance of ethical behavior for which the dispatcher has direct responsibility

· Grasp the importance of professionalism and customer service as it pertains to the career and competence of the 9-1-1 professional

· Develop the interpersonal skills necessary to answer and process the 9-1-1 call in an effective manner

· Learn basic team concepts necessary to work effectively with others

· Develop skills to take and process difficult calls

· Develop the technical skills needed to take the call and dispatch the call

· Understand the current technology being used in the    9-1-1 profession as well as recognize and discuss future technology uses

· Develop coping strategies for dealing with the stress every 9-1-1 professional goes through 

Ethics (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200801

Recommended for all

· Understand the difference between ethics and morals

· Understand the value of ethics

· Identify some of your values and moral principles

· Become familiar with some philosophical approaches to ethical dilemmas

· Identify ways to improve ethics in your workplace

· Learn ways to avoid ethical dilemmas

· Gain tools to help you make better decisions

Turn Stress into Success (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200708

Recommended for all

A comprehensive approach for dealing with stress.  In this course you will learn to:

· Understand your current level of stress and where it comes from

· Discover your current coping skills and how to use them effectively in all areas of life

· Develop new coping skills to manage stress

40-Hour Instructor Certification Course
(5 day course)
Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC200908A

Recommended for all who desire to become effective trainers by building their skills, information and practical experience.

· Recognize the importance of considering the participants and their training needs, including the different learning styles and adult learning principles.

· Know how to write objectives and evaluate whether those objectives have been met at the end of the training session

· Develop an effective training style using the training aids and techniques that are appropriate

· Understand the importance of an instruction guide to help a trainer prepare and deliver effectively and consistently

· Conduct a short group training session that incorporates these training concepts

· Enhance your understanding of learning styles and how to accommodate them in a classroom

· Understand the key principles of effective communication in a classroom setting

· Identify strategies to create a no-risk learning environment

· Use a variety of training techniques to stimulate participation

· Develop a plan and prepare for an effective training session

· Practice thinking on your feet in a safe environment

· Identify advanced interventions for difficult situations

· Practice the skills needed for a team presentation

· Understand the transformational advantages of utilizing effective feedback

®

Executive Management Summit (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC201002B

Recommended for Public Safety Executives

 

· The day long summit provides education, advanced concepts and application for all executive level public safety communications professionals.

· For management to become educated on the most recent trends, techniques and strategies for the public safety communications workforce.

 

Topics to be covered:

1. Understand interviewing techniques that will provide insight and better retention. Learn the cues and concepts of what the interviewee is demonstrating.

2. Realize how future training techniques will guide the training processes and how it will affect the workplace as well as the employee.

3. Know the warning signs of workplace violence and when you must act.

4. Interpret the barometer of stress in your agency and evaluate the symptoms of good stress and bad stress.

5. Formulate your own action plan of assisting employees in work decisions.

6. Finally, identify your agency’s status concerning interoperability. Compare and contrast the way of the future as to how interoperability is a welcome function for the future.

BONUS SESSION:  What do I need to do in order to receive training funds from the State 9-1-1 Committee?

Homeland Security-The Telecommunicator’s Role

(1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC2001001A

Recommended for Telecommunicators/Call-Takers/Dispatchers

 

· Understanding the Role of the Telecommunicator in Homeland Security

· Develop an understanding of the Telecommunicator’s role in Incident Command

· Learn what to expect during a large incident and who is accountable for what.

Leadership IV:

Coaching, Counseling and Discipline (2 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC201002C

Recommended for 9-1-1 Professionals and Other Public Safety Leaders

 

· Learning how to coach, counsel and discipline appropriately and effectively in your leadership role.

· Learn how to effectively communicate corrective techniques to your personnel.

· Identify what you can and should document.

· Immediately apply the tools and techniques that make you stand out as a true leader.

Stress Management (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC201001B

Recommended for All

 

· Learning to identify and manage stress in the high stress field of public safety.

· Identify symptoms of stress and how they affect us.

· Develop coping strategies for dealing with the stress every Telecommunicator experiences and public safety responder experiences

Suicidal Callers(1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC201001C

Recommended for 9-1-1 Call Takers/Dispatchers

 

· Learn how to help a suicidal caller.

· Learn who is at risk for suicide.

· Learn how to assess the risk of a suicidal caller.

· Learn how to respond to a suicidal caller. 

Child Callers (1 day course)

Michigan State 9-1-1 Committee/MCOLES Approved #SCC201002A

Recommended for all who answer and/or dispatch the 9-1-1 call

 

· Contrast how child callers differ from adult callers and become more confident in listening and questioning techniques for children. 

· You will be able to better understand how a child processes information and relays it in their own way to more effectively obtain the information you need to provide help. 

· These techniques may help alleviate the consequences of vicarious trauma involving child callers.