Solid Roots. New Growth. A Behind the Scenes Look at the Citrus Heights Police Dispatch Academy

By Special Guest Writers

Chela Cottrell, ENP, CMCP

Sarah Fridrich

Regina Harmon

A 2024 national survey conducted in partnership with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and Carbyne found that only 37.5% of dispatchers felt "adequately trained to respond to most crises" (2024 Pulse of 9-1-1, Pg. 6). As leaders in a communications center, how can we address that statistic meaningfully and ensure that those we bring into our teams feel differently?

At the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD) in California, the answer was to start at the beginning, and the beginning to us looked like creating an entry-level dispatch academy that would set the foundation for what we hope are dispatch careers that span decades.

While we have had iterations of our in-house dispatch academy over the years, we rarely hire enough team members at one time to necessitate off-the-floor classroom training. We usually cover our academy topics one-on-one during the first several weeks of the dispatcher's training program. We share this information as your agency may be of similar size or even smaller than ours. If you are interested in writing curriculum to create a dispatch academy, keep in mind that it can be scalable. You can make it as straightforward or as involved as you would like it to be.

The most important part of the academy is identifying the necessary topics to include. Please note, this internal academy does not replace the required California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (CA POST) Public Safety Dispatchers Basic Course but is designed to address subjects which are agency specific. We narrowed the focus down to culture, policy vs. procedure, CAD functions, understanding the different units within the organization, an overview of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), customer service (both internal and external), liability, a local geography tour, and what to expect from the training program.

Having guest speakers come in to meet and greet the new team members was also an essential part of our program. From Executive staff coming in to say "hello" to some of our specialty detective teams explaining the "why" behind how they operate, providing some insight into the various roles housed under one roof gave the academy members something more than orientation; it made them feel like they were already part of something that they would be willing to work hard for.

We asked a few questions from our Communications Training Officers (CTOs), who structured the program, about their experience in its creation and implementation. CTO Spadini shared, "This academy was unique due to the number of resources utilized to teach the topics. A team environment is presented by bringing in many dispatchers to teach. The trainees commented that they hadn't expected to meet such a wide range of department employees so early on and that it helped them to view the officers in a more "human" light as opposed to what they've seen in the media."

CTO Rinek shared that getting the new dispatchers involved with the department's policy and procedure before being operational set them up for a good foundation of expectations.

CTO Miyamura wrote, "Law enforcement is a whole new world. I will tell my trainees that I will be teaching them three new languages: ten-codes, CLETS, and department specific vernacular. Our program allows trainees to be immersed in a safe, stress-free environment before being ‘thrown’ into the deep end of training. Our program is like a language learning app for law enforcement."

The trainees had feedback as well from their experience with the academy. Trainee Trinidad stated, "The Dispatch Academy was very good; it gave me confidence and excitement towards learning and doing my new job."

Trainee Mohandessi wrote, "I heavily enjoyed the dispatch academy. It was good to get a baseline foundation of all the skills we will be learning and all the programs that will be used. Front-loading helps make it click later on as we see [Dispatch] in action. Even though all the puzzle pieces don't connect yet, having the ‘zoomed out’ grand picture is nice. That way, it will make more sense once we see [Dispatching] in action, and the connections are stronger."

When asked if other agencies should adopt a program like this, Trainee Paul wrote, "Yes, yes, yes! I felt like this academy was a great way to build an initial understanding and foundation for the future training journey."

Ultimately, as we seek to provide a firm foundation for those we welcome into this profession, we must modify our approach to what will work for the individuals we are training. Find the courage to leverage your creativity into a solution for your people. Be comfortable trying out new approaches and then ruthlessly evaluate them for re-working.

We are first responders. We must train our people to set up for a career spanning decades. Investing your time and resources into training will always pay dividends, even if your first few attempts need to be modified to achieve your goals. 9-1-1 is a large and fervent industry. If you want to raise the bar of your training program, reach out to others in your network or formal training groups for ideas and support. As dispatchers, we may be the “voice in the dark”, but we are never alone in our struggles or triumphs as a profession.

References

2024 Pulse of 9-1-1, NENA & Carbyne State of the Industry Survey. The Pulse of 9-1-1 Survey Results - 2024

About Citrus Heights Police Department:

Founded in 2006, the Citrus Heights Police Department is a full-service agency with its own communications center, which answers emergency calls and dispatches Police and Law Enforcement services. In 2016, for its 20th anniversary, Citrus Heights adopted the “Solid roots. New growth.” brand to highlight its philosophy of building strong foundations to prepare for a bright future for its community, both those who serve and those who live here. A focus on innovation in training techniques and commitment to excellence aligns with the CHPD Mission “to safeguard the people we serve and enhance the quality of life by impacting crime with skilled poling professionals.” To learn more about CHPD, please visit the following social media pages.

Citrus Heights Police Department: Website | Facebook | X (Twitter) | Instagram | Nextdoor