NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF EMERGENCY DISPATCH
The Training
Emergency Telecommunicator Course (ETC)
Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor Course (ETC-I)
Emergency Telecommunicator Course (ETC)
The Emergency Telecommunicator Course is a certification course for entry-level emergency telecommunicators developed by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch. Originally designed to train new employees who are unfamiliar with emergency communications centers and their technology, legal guidelines, stress factors, and methods of communication, the ETC Course has been easily adapted to secondary and post-secondary education levels. Designed as a 40-hour (minimum) course, it is usually offered as a one-semester course. It can be expanded to a full year course that includes academics that are more integrated and hands on experience with equipment in the classroom or as work-based experience, on-site, at 9-1-1 call centers.
Emergency Telecommunicator Course Content:
o Roles and Responsibilities of the Emergency Telecommunicator
o Emergency Telecommunications Technologies
o Telecommunication Essentials
o Call Management
o Law Enforcement/Police Call Classification
o Fire/Rescue Call Classification
o Medical Call Classification
o Disaster Preparedness and Readiness for ETCs
o Radios and Radio Broadcast Procedure
o Legal Aspects of Public Safety Communication
o Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement
o Dispatch Stress
Typically, high schools and colleges offer the program as a one-semester course. Upon completion and passing the certification exam with a score of 80 percent or better, students receive their national certification and are eligible for entry level emergency dispatcher positions. The course is taught at the junior or, preferably, the senior year of high school. Unless students will have opportunities for internships or part-time positions during the senior year, we recommend that the course be taught during the senior year so that what is learned is not forgotten when applying for a emergency telecommunicator position and taking the test for certification.
There are several steps to take prior to offering such a course
o Step # 1 - Have a school representative contact the local emergency dispatch centers to determine their need for and interest in supporting a school based certification program. Of course, the reverse can also happen when the dispatch center decides to encourage development of such a program.
o Step # 2 - Seek school system approval for the new program.
o Step # 3 - Have the prospective instructor become a certified trainer by attending the Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor Course (see below) which provides the international instructor certification and allow their students to be internationally certified as Emergency Telecommunicators.
o Step # 4 - Choose the equipment that will be added. Here we recommend the OMNI-COMM Simulators (link will be provided); however, there are other options including equipment that may be available as surplus from a local 9-1-1 center.
Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor (ETC-I) Course
For students of the Emergency Telecommunicator Course (above) to be eligible for certification as Emergency Telecommunicators by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED), they must have been taught by an instructor certified by the NAED. Instructor-candidates must successfully complete the Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor (ETC-I) Course. NAED-certified ETC Instructors maintain their certification through meeting minimum teaching requirements and recertification exercise requirements.
Benefits to ETC-I certification include:
o Improvement of personal training skills and abilities through the ETC-I course
o Familiarity with ETC Course content
o Insight into how to incorporate local policies and procedures
o Familiarity with National Academies of Emergency Dispatch processes, ethics, and values
o Certification of your students through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch
o ETC-I certificate and pocket card
o Subscription to the Journal of Emergency Dispatch
o Member discounts at NAED's annual Navigator conference
The ETC-I course includes all of the materials necessary to teach the ETC Course and certify your students, including:
o ETC Course Manual (student manual)
o ETC Instructor Manual
o ETC Instructor Toolkit (CD-ROM)
o Complete PowerPoint presentations for each chapter/topic
o Instructor notes
o Audio media
o Video media
Course participants should bring a laptop computer to the course if they have one available.
