OUR MEMBERS    911 Emergency Dispatcher I Donna Gleason    11-74 President Richard Lindmark    11-27    Lori Bartlett    11-72 Secretary/Treasurer Theresa Preusser    11-71    Kevin Johnson    11-73       911 Emergency Dispatcher Dawn Buchinger    11-77    Frank Martin, Jr.    11-76 Vice President Dana Petty    11-79    Holly Gambacorta    11-78    Robyn Martins    11-81    Steven Meehan    11-82

To be a Columbia County 911 Telecommunicator you must have the ability to:       interpret and apply policies and procedures to emergency situations    operate radio equipment quickly and calmly in routine and emergency situations    work under pressure    understand, retain, and transmit information while performing several functions at one time    analyze situations accurately and take effective action    establish and maintain effective working relationships with department staff, various public agencies, the general public, and others contacted in the course of work    communicate effectively both orally and in writing prepare and maintain accurate reports and records    perform clerical work of average difficulty    operate communications equipment and standard office equipment    communicate effectively and coherently over radio channels while initiating and responding to radio communications    type at 30 words per minute operating a computer keyboard accurately and with appropriate speed    utilize various software programs relevant to the position.    Our job requirements, certifications and continuing education courses include:       911 Emergency Dispatcher civil service exam    8-12 weeks "on the job training"    24 hours "ride-a-long" time with a rescue squad and a police agency for 2 - 12 hour shifts each    Certification in the APCO Basic Telecommunicator Course    Advanced Dispatcher Course given by the NYS Fire Academy in Montour Falls, NY    Certification in American Heart Association CPR/Heimlich Maneuver    Members of the National Association of Emergency Medical Dispatch    Certified in EMD using the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System with recertification every 2 years. The recertification process mandates continuing education credits.    Power Phone "Law Enforcement Dispatch" course    Power Phone "Suicide Intervention Dispatch" course    Other continuing education courses many of us have taken:       Power Phone "Active Shooting Response"    Power Phone "Non-Emergency Call Handling"    Power Phone "Homeland Security for Telecommunicators"    National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100 and 700    Albany Med FLIGHT’s Educational Program for the Prehospital Provider    Power Phone "Law Enforcement Dispatch Crisis Communications Training" course    Power Phone "Domestic Violence Intervention" Specialized Workshop    APCO "Fire Dispatch Training"    Power Phone "Advanced Law Enforcement Dispatch" course    Power Phone "Stress Identification & Management" course    Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS 100) given by the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO)    Incident Command System Basic course (ICS 200) given by the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO)    APCO "Communications Center Supervisor" course    Power Phone "Suicide Intervention for Dispatchers Crisis Communication Training Program"    Fire Training in the Weapons of Mass Destruction: Awareness Course given by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control    Fire Training in Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Response Seminar given by Onondaga Community College Public Safety Training Center    Power Phone "911 Liabilities Specialized Workshop"    HAZMAT First Responder Operations Refresher given by Office of Fire Prevention & Control (OFPC)    Most Columbia County 911 telecommunicators are, or have been, involved in emergency services in one way or another as police dispatchers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMT’s, HAZMAT members, Cause & Origin members and most have 10 or more years of experience dispatching emergency calls.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning stays young.
The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
-- Henry Ford

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