Dispatcher Training Offered

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Dispatcher Training Made Available to Job Seekers

The John H. Stamler Police Academy is pleased to announce a special Alternate Route course option for individuals with no prior experience who are interested in becoming trained as 9-1-1 dispatchers.  The required nine days of training, which includes the five-day Emergency Communications Operator (ECO) Certification and four-day Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) Certification courses, are open to individuals who currently are not employed by a law enforcement agency.  The courses will run consecutively from Monday through Friday, August 25-29, 2014 and Tuesday through Friday, September 2-5, 2014, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The courses will provide the basic level of certification required by the state for personnel working for a police department or other dispatch agency where 9-1-1 calls are answered,” said Eric G. Mason, the John H. Stamler Police Academy Director.  “Students who successfully complete this training will possess the fundamental skills required to begin working as a 9-1-1 call taker and will be eligible to be certified by N.E.C.I., a national 9-1-1 training agency, and the New Jersey Office of Emergency Telecommunications.”   

The five-day ECO course content includes an overview of dispatch procedures, legal and liability issues, techniques for handling 9-1-1 calls, handling a caller with special needs, and the history of the New Jersey 9-1-1 System. This course includes a full day of role-playing involving simulated 9-1-1 calls.

The four-day EMD course provides the next level of certification for personnel who are already certified as an Emergency Communications Operator (ECO).  This course is required for anyone working for a police department or other agency that receives 9-1-1 medical calls. Topics covered include responsibilities of the Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD), legal/liability issues, giving medical instructions by telephone, and the use of emergency medical dispatch guide cards. The course includes more than a day and a half of role-playing involving simulated 9-1-1 medical calls.  

To attend the EMD certification course, students must already hold a valid CPR card from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. The course tuition, which includes payment for the manual and certification fees, must be paid in full prior to the first day of each class. Tuition for civilian job-seekers is $475 for the ECO course and $450 for the EMD course.

Course registration forms are available online at www.ucnj.org/policeacademy, or call 908-889-6112.