By
Ryan Dedmon, MA
911 Training Institute
We met with Dr. Anthony Minge, a Senior Partner at Fitch & Associates, at the 2019 International Academies of Emergency Dispatch’s annual Navigator Conference in National Harbor, MD. Dr. Minge was staffing a booth in the Exhibit Hall during the conference sharing information on some special training programs at Fitch & Associates.
911TI: We know you had a booth in the Exhibit Hall at the Navigator Conference. What were the last few days like for you here at the conference in the Exhibit Hall?
AM: We did. We spent the last couple days getting to reconnect with some of our former students, meeting our colleagues and peers from around the industry. It’s been a good experience, as the Navigator Conference always is.
911TI: One of your biggest and most prominent training programs is the Communications Center Manager (CCM) program. Tell us more about that program.
AM: CCM is the Communications Center Manager program. It complements our Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) program. We’ve been offering CCM for a couple decades. Tom Somers was in the very first graduating class of CCM and is also here at the conference. He continues to contribute his knowledge, expertise and things he learned in CCM and through his career with the industry.
911TI: How often is that training program offered?
AM: We provide the CCM training program twice a year. It’s usually in the Spring and the Fall. It’s based on demand. If we have enough students enrolled, we’ll offer it twice a year.
911TI: Who should consider attending that program?
AM: CCM is a leadership training experience. We say it’s for new managers, but experienced managers come as well. Managers who have been in the position for 15-20 years come to the program and still leave with something new.
911TI: Today during the closing lunch here at the Navigator Conference you are recognizing your most recent CCM graduates.
AM: Yes, we are. We had two classes this past year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Many of the graduates are here. Part of the CCM program includes a registration to the annual Navigator Conference. Students get to attend Navigator complimentary after graduating CCM, so many of them came by our booth. We also have two award winners. Each class nominates one of their peers and votes on it. This is a person they feel exhibits the quality of a leader in communications. This Spring’s winner was Joe Coons and in the Fall it was Stephen Johnson, so we’ll be recognizing both of them during the closing lunch.
911TI: Outstanding! Our congratulations to both of those gentlemen. As we wrap up at the Navigator Conference, we know Fitch & Associates are really looking ahead to July for your annual Pinnacle Conference.
AM: That’s right, we’re getting ready for our conference on July 22-26th. It will be in Orlando, FL.
911TI: What is the Pinnacle Conference?
AM: The Pinnacle Conference inspires EMS leadership. It is where the leaders from the EMS industry come to learn, network, find out cutting-edge, best practices and share their experiences. They get to catch up with friends and colleagues from all around the industry.
911TI: Is this also open to front-line personnel to attend?
AM: Yes. We’re getting more front-line managers, supervisors, and directors as they develop their leadership skills.
911TI: And Jim Marshall is speaking at the Pinnacle Conference this year.
AM: Yes, he is. We’re honored to have Jim again this year. He’s going to be speaking with Dr. Peter Antevy on supporting care givers and building resilient teams. We know that’s a passion of Jim’s. He’s also going to be joining Dr. David Nelson again this year. Jim and David have both participated in our CCM and ASM programs in the past. David is one our key staff members in both of those programs. They will be speaking about best practices for mid-level managers.
911TI: We know that resiliency for all types of care givers is not solely inclusive to just the 911 industry, but also stretches across other first-responder fields, like EMS.
AM: Yes, EMS and fire services. It’s a broad spectrum and we are seeing a greater need for resiliency. Thanks to Jim and 911TI for getting that message out to first-responders.
For more information on the CCM and ASM training programs with Fitch & Associates, please visit them below:
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