Communications Center recipient of $12K grant

Bedford County Communications Center has received a $12,000 training grant from Tennessee Emergency Communications Board.

Com center director Cathey Mathis said she's delighted by the grant, which followed a similar but slightly smaller grant last year.

She said one of the center's two certified training officers will receive a supplement, with the rest of the grant going to other training costs.

"It's a great benefit," she said.

She said the entire staff of the local com center is certified in emergency medical dispatch and has taken the 40-hour telecommunicators course held at Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road.

She said the state grant formula is based on the number of dispatch stations operated by a given county. Bedford County has three stations at the com center, plus a fourth station in Mathis' office which isn't counted by the state for purposes of the funding formula.

Emergency Medical Dispatch training prepares dispatchers for handling calls related to medical emergencies, teaching them what questions to ask, what instructions to give while an ambulance is en route, and how to make sure that both the victim (or family member) and the emergency medical crew have the information they need to make things run efficiently once an ambulance arrives on-scene.

The 40-hour telecommunicators course, which must be completed within the first six months of employment, addresses issues like liability and the various types of calls received by dispatchers.

The training grant amounts for area counties are $16,000 each for Coffee and Franklin; $8,000 for Moore, and $12,000 for Bedford.

"We've set uniform standards because we want to do all we can to improve the effectiveness of 911," said TECB executive director Lynn Questell.

"We know many districts exceed these standards and provide additional training and support to their dispatchers. We certainly want to provide the local 911 districts with the needed funds to for this training.

"We're pleased we can provide these funds," Questell said. "Not every state has minimum requirements. And among those that do, not every state provides funding for the training. Tennessee continues to be a national leader in 911."

TECB requires all dispatchers to have 40 hours of supervised, on-the-job training and 40 hours of public safety communications coursework within the first six months of employment. Additionally, dispatchers must participate in regular continuing education.

The training standards in Tennessee are modeled after the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) standards. The dispatcher training funds are available on an annual basis.

"Our board has set solid standards for the training of 911 dispatchers," said TECB chairman Randy Porter. "We want to be sure the districts have the funds they need to train those dispatchers. Uniform training of dispatchers results in improved response to emergencies."

TECB was created by the General Assembly in 1998 to assist emergency education boards of directors in management, operations and accountability, with the goal of establishing reliable emergency communications for all citizens of the state.

It's a successful formula, according to Porter. In 2005, Tennessee became the third state in the nation to become Phase II-ready, meaning a 911 operator can obtain a wireless caller's number and location information. In 2005, Tennessee received an award from the Congressional E911 Institute for having the nation's best state system.

The TECB is administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee.