Ideal for training the new-hire or as a refresher for existing staff, APCO’s PST1 course covers the basics skills, knowledge, and abilities every successful public safety telecommunicator needs to meet the demands of this critical work.

Students successfully passing the final exam receive APCO Institute certification demonstrating completion of a training course that meets and exceeds industry accepted national basic training standards.

Building on foundational topics such as communication skills, call taking and radio techniques, the PST course blends in the most up-to-date information on technology and work-related issues in public safety communications centers. “Hot” topics include NextGen 9-1-1, emerging technologies, continuing ed., and liability.

June 10 - June 14, 2024 M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Training modules include:

CDEs Earned: 40

Recertification Requirements: APCO certified PSTs must provide proof every two years of 48 hours (24 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed. course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

Prerequisites: Due to the nature of this topic, it is highly recommended that students have successfully completed a 40-hour formal basic instructor-led telecommunicator training program.

The telecommunicator is the first voice in any crisis, the first point of contact the caller has with public safety, and sometimes the first contact a person in crisis has had with anybody in a long time. Crisis negotiation calls are truly life or death incidents for the caller and, perhaps, for others involved in the incident. These calls are unlike emergencies that telecommunicators handle every day. A crisis does not have a clearcut response plan, its nature and outcome are hard to discern. There is no way to know how long it will take to resolve or by what means. Outcomes depend on the way responders interact with the person on the other end of the phone. Clearly not an on-the-job training situation, the best preparation for telecommunicators is training as much as possible before they have to handle a crisis call.

This course builds on all the skills of basic telecommunicator training but has the specific goal of diving deeper into the nature of crises, their progression, and the most effective way to receive and process calls. Within its scope, the course provides an overview of crisis negotiations looking at the special concerns related to hostage situations, barricaded subjects, and persons with suicidal intent. By the end of the course, the student will have both conceptual tools to help understand crisis situations, they will also have tools to use when working to resolve these incidents.

Monday, June 17, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Topics include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course.

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

Prerequisites: Although there is no pre-requisite for the course, it is recommended that registrants for this class have successfully completed a 40-hour formal basic instructor-led telecommunicator training program.

The world’s first comprehensive disaster operations course designed specifically for the public safety communications professional!

This course serves to educate the public safety telecommunicator on a wide range of man-made and natural disasters, their effects on the community and its infrastructure, and the response and recovery needs of each. In addition, this course will provide telecommunicators with information on overall emergency management and homeland security and provide guidance on continuity of operations for the emergency communications center (ECC) in the face of a multitude of disaster situations.

The importance of educating today’s public safety communications professional on their role and the role of the ECC in disaster operations is greater than ever before. There is a defined role for public safety communications in every element of disaster response and recovery. As public safety’s ability and need to address disaster situations evolves, the telecommunicator needs to be familiar with all types of disasters – man-made and natural – and how those events can impact the communications function.

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Topics include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

Prerequisites: Although there is no pre-requisite for the course, it is recommended that registrants for this class have successfully completed a 40-hour formal basic instructor-led telecommunicator training program.

The world’s first comprehensive disaster operations course designed specifically for the public safety communications professional!

This course serves to educate the public safety telecommunicator on a wide range of man-made and natural disasters, their effects on the community and its infrastructure, and the response and recovery needs of each. In addition, this course will provide telecommunicators with information on overall emergency management and homeland security and provide guidance on continuity of operations for the emergency communications center (ECC) in the face of a multitude of disaster situations.

The importance of educating today’s public safety communications professionals on their role and the role of the ECC in disaster operations is greater than ever before. There is a defined role for public safety communications in every element of disaster response and recovery. As public safety’s ability and need to address disaster situations evolves, the telecommunicator needs to be familiar with all types of disasters – man-made and natural – and how those events can impact the communications function.

Monday, August 26, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Topics include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

Prerequisites: Due to the nature of this topic, it is highly recommended that students have successfully completed a 40-hour formal basic instructor-led telecommunicator training program.

The telecommunicator is the first voice in any crisis, the first point of contact the caller has with public safety, and sometimes the first contact a person in crisis has had with anybody in a long time. Crisis negotiation calls are truly life or death incidents for the caller and, perhaps, for others involved in the incident. These calls are unlike emergencies that telecommunicators handle every day. A crisis does not have a clearcut response plan, its nature and outcome are hard to discern. There is no way to know how long it will take to resolve or by what means. Outcomes depend on the way responders interact with the person on the other end of the phone. Clearly not an on-the-job training situation, the best preparation for telecommunicators is training as much as possible before they have to handle a crisis call.

This course builds on all the skills of basic telecommunicator training but has the specific goal of diving deeper into the nature of crises, their progression, and the most effective way to receive and process calls. Within its scope, the course provides an overview of crisis negotiations looking at the special concerns related to hostage situations, barricaded subjects, and persons with suicidal intent. By the end of the course, the student will have both conceptual tools to help understand crisis situations, they will also have tools to use when working to resolve these incidents.

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Topics include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course.

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

Stress is one of the most common words used in society today and something that each one of us will experience at some point in our life. Stress affects people of all ages, professions, and life situations. However, emergency communications as a profession are inherently stressful with the various demands placed upon them by nature of the profession. Understanding these causes of stress in the profession will allow the public safety telecommunicator to recognize and mitigate some of the stressful situations that they may encounter. This course addresses how to detect stress within yourself and co-workers and provides measures to reduce its impact.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  

Topics Include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course.

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

Prerequisites: Due to the nature of this topic, it is highly recommended that students have successfully completed a 40-hour formal basic instructor-led telecommunicator training program.

Active shooter incidents are high-risk, high-stakes events that, without warning, can cause devastating consequences in just a few brief moments. For all facets of public safety, including communications, there are a host of issues that make responding to an active shooter incident more difficult than many other armed subject calls.

These types of incidents have been increasing in frequency. Shooters have a wider range of more powerful weapons available. The motivations behind these incidents continue to grow more complex. As with any other type of emergency situation, the telecommunicator plays a vital role in the response to active shooter incidents.

Telecommunicators need to be aware of the unique challenges posed by active shooter incidents and be prepared to address them well in advance. This course looks at the role of the telecommunicator through all stages of an active shooter incident.

This course is built on the experiences of frontline telecommunicators who have worked in active shooter incidents. Upon their recommendation, the course is structured along the arc of events that happen before, during and after an active shooter incident. The goal of the course is to educate telecommunicators about the intricate issues and challenges posed by active shooter incidents, including preparedness for an incident, response to an incident and the role the telecommunicator plays following an incident.

Monday, October 21, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Topics include:

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course.

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None

This course examines how bullying occurs and how to combat the issue. The eight-hour course explores the nature of the problem, its impact on people and organizations, corrective actions that can be taken, and steps to foster and maintain civility in the communications center. This course aims to help students develop the skills needed to effectively practice civil behavior, as well as demonstrate different ways organizations can systematically combat bullying and cultivate civility in the workplace.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Topics include: 

Perfect for a one-day pre-conference or post-conference course.

CDEs Earned: 8

Recertification Requirements: None