What I've learned from 911 Communicators - the Real First Responders.

I am fortunate to train police communicators in crisis de-escalation, but I've also learned that training on major incident operations is just as important to 911 professionals. This is what I have learned from these incredible first responders;

• They are viciously protective of their officers; if you don’t help them they can’t protect you. Information sharing is critical.
• They are part of your major incident team; brief them, keep them in the loop and they will contribute to the success of the operation.
• Include them in your debriefs; they want to do better too, they are professionals who can only improve if they learn from mistakes made.
• They don’t know what they haven’t been taught. Train them in police operations, tactical response and the language and tactics they will be hearing on the air – they will save your bacon if they understand what is going on.
• Train them in what information is critical to Tactical Teams, Incident Commanders and Negotiators. They often end up speaking to the bad guy, witnesses and even hostages and they need skills to communicate and gather the critical information that is crucial during a high risk event.
• They are an incredible resource for intelligence; they have experience dealing with regulars, neighbourhoods, the players involved and have access to information at their fingertips. Include them on your team; they are a proactive resource who will have information for you before you think to ask for it.

Remember 911 communicators, dispatchers and call takers negotiate with people in crisis every day; they have skills, they are part of your team, they want you to succeed, they want you safe, they want to be trained.