NENA: The 9-1-1 Association and delivery partner Virtual Academy are excited to announce the availability of a new, 40-hour, self-paced, online course entitled Telecommunicator Core Competencies. The class provides the essential and foundational training that 9-1-1 professionals need to deliver effective and efficient 9-1-1 service to the public. Upon completion of this program, graduates are equipped to excel in their roles.

"This course sets a new standard for excellence in introductory training for 9-1-1 professionals," said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. "NENA is proud that, through our partnership with Virtual Academy, we’ve been able to create an invaluable resource for individuals, trainers, and 9-1-1 centers. Now more than ever, it is imperative that everyone who handles 9-1-1 calls receives the best possible training from day one. NENA’s Telecommunicator Core Competencies program makes that possible at a price everyone can afford."

Click here to learn more. 

At NENA 2021, you will not only hear about the public safety issues of today and tomorrow, but also gain practical, real-world know-how that you can take home with you and put into action immediately. Featuring inspiring keynote speakers, more than ninety hours of breakout sessions that inform and empower, career-building courses and workshops with real-world applications, nightly networking events that help you make the right connections, and an Expo Hall showcasing cutting-edge products and services, NENA 2021 is the must-attend event of the year. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it!

Click here to register and here to book your housing. 

Register Today for the 7th Annual Run for 9-1-1! 
Lace up your running or walking shoes in support of 9-1-1 training and wellness programs on Saturday, July 24, and participate in the 7th Annual "Run for 9-1-1" Charity 5K in Columbus, Ohio!

The run/walk promotes healthy living among 9-1-1 professionals, gives the greater Columbus community, and supporters from around the country, a chance to say "thank you" to 9-1-1, and generates funds for scholarships and 9-1-1 training opportunities. Click here to register.

While the opportunity to help others draws people into the 9-1-1 field, the negativism that can exist within a PSAP can chase good people out of the profession. A toxic atmosphere, when combined with some of the other challenges of the job – such as professional unappreciation, low pay, and long hours – can take its toll on employees. Fortunately, there are some simple things that can be done to improve our work environments. Attend this webinar to hear practical suggestions to help you deal with negativity in your workplace. You’ll learn about:

• The need for empathy; 
• The importance of education; 
• The value of encouragement; and
• The possibility of eradication.

Can't attend on the 28th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive. 

Presenter: Charlie Wharton – St. Mary's County (MD) Church of Christ 

CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point towards the ten-point maximum for NENA courses in the Professional Development CEU/Course Credits section. 

Webinar Access Info: Dial-in and web-access details provided automatically via email upon registration.

Questions? Contact Amanda Tegtmeyer with the NENA Education team.

Last week, NENA announced that Charles Cullen, ENP of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Police Department and Leah Hornacek, ENP of Grand Traverse County (MI) 911 have been elected by the organization’s members to serve on its Board of Directors and help lead the association’s mission to improve 9-1-1 through research, standards development, training, education, outreach, and advocacy.

Cullen, who will ascend to 1st Vice President in 2022 and then association President in 2023, started his 9-1-1 career as a dispatcher and has been a public-safety professional for more than twenty-five years. He is currently the Technical Services Director for the UCSF Police Department. Active on both the local and national levels, he is a past president of the California NENA chapter and served on the national board as Western Region Director. Previously, Cullen was appointed by the governor of California for two terms on the state’s 9-1-1 Advisory Board.

Hornacek will represent NENA members from the North Central Region on the board. She is the Deputy Director of Grand Traverse County (MI) 911, a position she has held since 2016, previously serving in roles including Communications Training Officer, Tactical Dispatcher, Supervisor, and Administrative Supervisor. She is the 2nd Vice President of the Michigan NENA chapter and is a frequent presenter at both chapter and national conferences.

Incumbents retained their seats in the two other board elections, with Erin Malloy, ENP and Holly Barkwell, ENP continuing to serve in the positions of Northeastern Director and Canadian Director respectively.

Click here to read more. 

The NENA Spoofing Mitigation Information Document addresses operational as well as technical impacts associated with applying information spoofing mitigation techniques to 9‑1‑1 calls and emergency callbacks. Specifically, this document discusses the need for spoofing mitigation to be addressed in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to influence call handling and/or to support post-processing associated with emergency calls, depending on the jurisdiction. For example, SOPs must clearly define how SHAKEN-related information (e.g., attestation level) will be displayed to PSAP call takers and describe how the information should be used in the course of handling an emergency call. SOPs should also provide guidance with respect to how an agency will prioritize and handle calls of different attestation levels relative to other calls occurring around the same time. This document addresses spoofing mitigation associated with 9-1-1 calls and callback calls in an all-IP environment.

Members of the Working Group are to download the document and submit comments by going here and then select "Add a Comment" from the "Edit" icon.

All others are to download the document and submit comments by going here and then select "Add a Comment" from the "Document Actions" icon.

Please complete all requested data and "Save" OR if submitting multiple comments, select "Save and Add Another."

If you are providing Editorial comments, such as corrections to typos, grammatical errors, style/numbering errors, and incorrect references/links to documents, please document them under one (1) comment and list the page and line number for each. For example:

• Page 22, Line 761: correct muse to most
• Page 51, Line 905: correct Maine to main
• If the correction is within a table, provide the table name and page number of error and specific details of change

All comments are due by June 6, 2021. You may contact the NENA Committee Resource Manager with any questions or concerns.

The NENA Standard for Interconnecting Emergency Services IP Networks and Public Safety Broadband Networks contains specifications and information critical to interconnecting Emergency Services IP networks (ESInets) to Public Safety Broadband Networks (PSBNs) in a way that maximizes interoperability on both sides of the network boundary. In the context of this document, ESInets may exist at the state, regional, or local agency level. The term "PSBN" is used to refer to any broadband network that is hosting Public Safety responder devices and applications. The interconnection issues covered in this document are the same regardless of the specific ESInet or PSBN being connected. The solutions for some issues, however, are highly implementation dependent. This document provides information and advice on those types of issues.

Members of the Working Group are to download the document and submit comments by going here and then select "Add a Comment" from the "Edit" icon.

All others are to download the document and submit comments by going here and then select "Add a Comment" from the "Document Actions" icon.

Please complete all requested data and "Save" OR if submitting multiple comments, select "Save and Add Another."

If you are providing Editorial comments, such as corrections to typos, grammatical errors, style/numbering errors, and incorrect references/links to documents, please document them under one (1) comment and list the page and line number for each. For example:

• Page 22, Line 761: correct muse to most
• Page 51, Line 905: correct Maine to main
• If the correction is within a table, provide the table name and page number of error and specific details of change

All comments are due by June 6, 2021. You may contact the NENA Committee Resource Manager with any questions or concerns.

NENA's Wellness Committee is asking for content submissions - either original or publishable/linkable with permission - for inclusion in the Continuum Wellness Resources Portal on the following topics:

• Alcohol and/or substance abuse
• Stress 
• Mental health
• Men’s health
• PTSD 
• Healthy summer activities
• Leadership
• Inclusion
• Emotional wellness

The Public Safety Communications & Railroad Interaction Standard Operating Procedures standard aids Public Safety PSAPs, railroad communication centers, and railroad personnel in the development and implementation of standard operating procedures for emergency communications protocols pertaining to railroad and railroad related emergencies.

We are seeking volunteers with knowledge of PSAP operations, railroad operations, and related areas to participate in reviewing and updating the standard. The working group will meet bi-weekly beginning in May with starting date/time to be determined.

Click here to join this WG.

Technical Specialist | Denco Area 9-1-1 District | Lewisville, TX
911 Simulator Product Manager | 911 Professional Pride, Inc | Puyallup, WA
Emergency Communications Dispatcher | City of Fort Collins Police Services | Fort Collins, CO
Emergency Communications Supervisor | Harrisonburg-Rockingham ECC | Harrisonburg, VA

See these jobs, and many more, here!