Agenda - 02-18-1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 In mid - December, I shared with you a draft report of our system review. In December and January, Rod and I also provided oral reports and written summaries of our review to the EMS Advisory Council, the 911 Communications Group (which has been established as a product of the review process), the Orange County Chief's Council, and the Orange County Command Team. Feedback from members of these groups was fairly limited, but I have considered the comments received in preparing this final report. TRAINING In early September, I told you of steps taken in the past several years to improve the level of training of Orange County telecommunications personnel. The key features of the training program include 40 hours of classroom training and 160 hours of closely supervised OJT before dispatchers are assigned to work a console. Continuing education of at least 80 hours per year is also provided to full -time telecommunicators. An appreciable number of staff and outside agency participants in the review process volunteered their views that training had improved dramatically. We were told that training in years past commonly was acquired through the experience of working the consoles, without classroom work or supervised OJT. Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) training was also singled out for praise. Our dispatchers are trained to ask the right questions, to take control firmly but reassuringly in medical emergencies, and to provide basic medical instructions until EMS personnel are on the scene. Both Rod and I have seen and heard our dispatchers put this training to work in dealing with frightened people in such situations, and the effect is dramatic. Orange central's "homegrown" training program appears to be unique, both in North Carolina and across the country. Jurisdictions of our size generally do not have their own training programs, according to several national and state officers of APCO, the national organization for Associated Public- Safety Communications Officers. Elements of the orange County program have now been shared with more than 50 North Carolina jurisdictions. The class outlines and materials in the training notebook are extensive, well - organized, challenging, and of high quality. We recognized the program in December with the plaque that reflects the 1991 NACo Achievement Award for excellence. A number of training concerns were raised during the review process. The issue of initial and continuing education training for part -time telecommunicators is one that poses some challenges. We will be looking into gays to provide more training for part -time personnel, and to develop more commitment among these personnel to staying with the �A