Melissa Colon, CTO, Lieutenant, ETC instructor, and Q with Manatee County Emergency Communications Center, and Heather Hedgcock, QA Coordinator, Captain/Supervisor, ETC Instructor, and Q, discuss customer service skills. They outline how to professionally interrupt the caller, give examples of phrases you can use to sound polite and firm, and approach calltakers who lose their patience. 

For Your Information: 
Check out Manatee County Emergency Communication Center’s website: https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/public_safety

What's Really Going On? with Melissa Colon and Heather Hedgcock

Cait Welch, a Quality Assurance Officer and Coordinator at Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, discusses the flexibility of the Police Priority Dispatch System (PPDS). After all, your center’s needs are as unique as the area and people you serve. She talks about Jurisdictionally Approved Questions and Instructions, the Admin Utility, local definitions, how to interrupt professionally, and obvious questions. 

For Your Information: 

Cait’s previous episode: https://www.aedrjournal.org/in-short-supply-with-cait-welch  

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.manateesheriff.com/  

Fitch and Associates Communication Center Manager Course: https://fitchassoc.com/communication-center-manager-program/

Personalizing the Police Protocol with Cait Welch

Jim Marshall and Jason Scott with the 911 Training Institute return to talk about Emergency Mental Health Dispatching (EMHD) and Medical Priority Dispatch System Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis. They discuss the vast, untapped humanity that Emergency Dispatchers have to offer and the importance of adequately supporting those taking calls. 

For Your Information: 
Listen to the first part here: https://www.aedrjournal.org/principles-of-emergency-mental-health-dispatching-with-jim-marshall-and-jay-scott  

Statistics about suicide in the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html    

Check out the 911 Training Institute’s website: https://www.911training.net/    

Take the College of Emergency Dispatch course on the Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis: https://academy.emergencydispatch.org/

Caller in Crisis with Jim Marshall and Jay Scott

The champion and creator of the 911 SAVES Act, California Congresswoman Norma J. Torres gives some insight into this bill she and her colleagues are trying to pass to get emergency dispatchers reclassified as first responders. She tells some stories from her time as a dispatcher in Los Angeles, explains what the act does and does not do, and gives advice on how you can get involved in this important movement. 

For Your Information: 
Read this press release on the bill: https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/representatives-torres-fitzpatrick-reintroduce-bipartisan-9-1-1-saves   

To find out if Congresswoman Torres is your representative or to find out who your rep is and reach out, go here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member   

Read Congresswoman Torres’s policy essay on the 911 SAVES Act: https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jol/volume-61-number-1/?fbclid=IwAR2eg3d_CkD_Sq8_mM2Df1l8GpmzrsPtQCpX7FLbq3gBoF5JlAp18v-MGrg  

Find out more about how you can help get emergency dispatchers reclassified: https://www.911.gov/projects/telecommunicator-job-reclassification/

The 911 SAVES Act with Congresswoman Norma Torres

Tyler Pelke, Deputy Chief with the City of Red Deer Emergency Services, shares his perspective on resilience in the emergency response profession. He talks about doing the hard things, like building habits and practicing forgiveness, and fostering trust in the workplace. 

For Your Information: 
Tyler’s website: https://tylerpelke.com   
Dr. M. Scott Peck’s book on resilience: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Road-Less-Traveled-Timeless-Edition/M-Scott-Peck/9780743243155  
Dr. Karestan Koenen: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/profile/karestan-koenen/  
Dr. Steven Southwick: https://aeon.co/users/steven-southwick

Empathy, Self-awareness, and Self-regulation with Tyler Pelke

John Chiaramonte, President of Mission Critical Partners’ consulting business, talks about the company's upcoming 8-hour course on swatting incidents. He talks about the recent uptick in these types of responses as well as things communication centers can do to prepare for the eventuality of these calls. 

For Your Information: 
Sign up for the class here: https://info.missioncriticalpartners.com/mitigating-swatting-incidents-masterclass  

Check out Mission Critical Partners’ other webinars and trainings: https://www.missioncriticalpartners.com/resources/webinars-training/

Swatting Masterclass with John Chiaramonte

Josephine Rios, 911 calltaker and law dispatcher and founder of Latinas of 911 LLC talks about her organization including how it started, what its goals are, and how to become part of it.  

For Your Information: 
Check out the Latinas of 911 website: https://latinasof911.com/  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/503127028633445  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinasof911/

Latinas of 911 with Josephine Rios

Dr. Mike Brady, Dr. Conrad Fivaz, and Rhiannon Roynon talk about how the recently implemented Call Prioritization Streaming System (CPSS) at the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust is improving patient care and wait times for their callers.  

For Your Information: 
WAST’s website: https://ambulance.nhs.wales/

Call Prioritization Streaming System with Dr. Mike Brady, Dr. Conrad Fivaz, and Rhiannon Roynon

Dr. Anthony Minge, senior partner at Fitch & Associates, speaks about the importance of sponsoring NAVIGATOR and highlights the services available for emergency dispatchers through his company. He touches on the Communication Center Manager (CCM) Program as well as the Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum. 
 
For Your Information: 
Fitch & Associates site: visit www.fitchassoc.com  
CCM program site: https://fitchassoc.com/communication-center-manager-program/ 
Fitch & Associates’ 20th annual Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum will be held July 14-18, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more at www.Pinnacle-EMS.com. 

Fitch & Associates: Leadership in Action with Dr. Anthony Minge

Becca Zapata, Lead UX Researcher, and Chris Bennett, Director of AI Transparency & Education, join us to give you an update on Motorola Solutions, particularly the role of AI in their products. They discuss AI industry trends, their own VESTA NXT software, and what to look out for in the future.

For Your Information:
Check out the Motorola Solutions website: www.motorolasolutions.com 

Motorola Solutions: Empowering PSAPs through AI with Becca Zapata and Chris Bennett

We’ve saved the best for last in our NAVIGATOR 2025 Sponsor series! Chris Murdock, new President of Priority Dispatch Corp., joins us to talk about what’s going on with PDC. He discusses the new and improved billing system, the benefits of AI SkillLab, and why PDC prioritizes sponsoring NAVIGATOR each year. 

For Your Information: 
Check out PDC’s site: http://prioritydispatch.net/  
Listen to our episode about the AI SkillLab: https://www.aedrjournal.org/the-iaeds-ai-skilllab-with-amanda-beal  

Priority Dispatch: Homegrown Solutions with Chris Murdock

Dominique Mathis, public safety manager for Carbyne, discusses some aspects of the company you might not be familiar with. She talks about why Carbyne prioritizes sponsoring NAVIGATOR and what you can expect from their AI solutions.

For Your Information:
Check out Carbyne’s website: https://carbyne.com/   

Carbyne: More Than Video with Dominique Mathis

This combined episode with the hosts of Dispatch in Depth, Tell Me Exactly, and Within the Trenches took place at NAVIGATOR 2025. Attendees were invited to share their answers to the following questions: What facts would you tell someone who doesn’t think emergency dispatchers are first responders? What stories would you tell them? What would you say to other first responders who don’t think emergency dispatchers are first responders?

For Your Information:
Listen to Tell Me Exactly here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rpohCpEPDGFjma6HQYPla 
Listen to Within the Trenches here: https://www.withinthetrenches.net/podcast 

Asking the Right Questions with Meridith Jensen and Ricardo Martinez

Rayna Willis and Tyler Kennington with Parker County Hospital District in Texas discuss their center’s race to ACE. They talk about their motivations, their barriers, and advice for other centers ready to take the plunge. 

For Your Information: 
Start your Race to ACE today: https://www.emergencydispatch.org/what-we-do/accreditation  

Parker County’s Race to ACE with Rayna Willis and Tyler Kennington

Nicole Snell, CEO of Girls Fight Back, discusses the importance of boundaries and empowerment in your role as an emergency dispatcher. She outlines some steps for healthy communication and how one person adopting these strategies can influence the whole center.

For Your Information: 
Check out Nicole’s website: https://www.nicolesnell.com/   
Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesnell/  
Watch Nicole’s Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UETjFX0ErU&ab_channel=TEDxTalks  

Dispatching for Yourself with Nicole Snell

Grace Frances, Director of Community Partnerships, talks about the organization End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) and how it relates to emergency dispatch. She discusses the array of resources that EVAWI provides, including an annual conference and monthly webinars, and how emergency dispatchers often set the tone for a survivor of gender-based violence on their journey to justice.  

For Your Information:
Check out EVAWI’s website: https://evawintl.org/  
Watch past webinars: https://evawintl.org/webinars/
Access the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam (SAMFE) Virtual Practicum that Grace mentioned:  https://evawintl.org/vp/ 

End Violence Against Women International with Grace Frances

Edel Burton, Clinical Hospital Pharmacist and Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy in University of College Cork, discusses her recent study on prehospital care for suspected stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses methods, findings, and what she’s going to research next.

For Your Information:
Edel’s episode about her benchmarking study: https://www.aedrjournal.org/speaking-the-same-language-with-edel-burton   
Edel's ORCID site: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5847-0174   

Time Is Brain with Edel Burton

Jonny McMullan, EMD Mentor Instructor and Curriculum Board Member, gives an update on what has changed in the EMD Mentor course since 2022. He discusses how an EMD Mentor offers different support than a CTO, supervisor, or ED-Q and how it can help overall with staff turnover and burnout. 

For Your Information: 
Jonny’s previous podcast episode: https://www.aedrjournal.org/facing-in-the-same-direction-with-jonny-mcmullan  
Read more about the EMD Mentor program here: https://www.iaedjournal.org/helping-everyone-excel  
https://www.iaedjournal.org/an-emds-best-friend  
https://www.iaedjournal.org/encourage-understanding  

Peer-to-Peer Mentorship with Jonny McMullan

Taylor Davis, Director of Communications for Greenville County EMS (MedCom), talks about her recent Letter to the Editor for the Journal of Emergency Dispatch about her agency’s 84 CPR saves in 2024. She also covers what it’s like to work there, the goals they’re currently working toward, and how to improve center culture overall.

For Your Information:  
Read Taylor’s Letter to the Editor here: https://www.iaedjournal.org/letter-to-the-editor  
Greenville County’s official government website: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/ 

MedCom’s 84 Cardiac Arrest Saves with Taylor Davis

Isabel talks with Dr. Chris Olola, the director of research and biomedical informatics at the IAED. They discuss the role of emergency dispatch in patient care, heart attacks coded as ALPHA at dispatch, and the future of the research team.

For Your Information:
AMI: Acute Myocardial Infarction
Dr. Olola’s study about heart attacks coded as ALPHA at dispatch: https://www.aedrjournal.org/characteristics-of-acute-myocardial-infarction-cases-coded-as-low-acuity-at-dispatch/ 

Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

The Heart of the Matter with Dr. Chris Olola

Isabel talks with Kim Rigden, associate director of accreditation at IAED. They discuss the philosophy of catching people doing it right, strengths-based feedback formulas, and common hurdles to accreditation.

For Your Information:

Due to the complex nature of the task/type distinction of feedback, IAED created strengths-based feedback so the ED-Q does NOT have to figure out if a task is a promotion task (creative) or prevention task (accuracy-based) and react accordingly with positive or negative feedback. 
For more information, see the following article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229898940_Task_type_as_a_moderator_of_positivenegative_feedback_effects_on_motivation_and_performance_A_regulatory_focus_perspective 

Link to Kim’s previous podcast: https://www.aedrjournal.org/o-come-all-ye-burned-out-with-kim-rigden/ 
ACE Online Site: https://accreditation.emergencydispatch.org/ 
Link to the Race to ACE Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1025994800869995/ 

Kim’s reading recommendations:
Via Character Strengths: http://www.viacharacter.org/www/ 
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Dan Pink


Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Play to Your Strengths with Kim Rigden

Kim Ruether, founder of Project Brock, gives some background on “Brock’s Law” and Project Brock, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in young people through awareness, education, and action.   

For Your Information: 

Read the Journal article about Brock's Law: https://iaedjournal.org/meet-brock/   

Learn more about Project Brock: https://projectbrock.com/  

Project Adam: https://www.projectadam.com/Heartsafeschools 

Find out how to protect youth from SCA: https://parentheartwatch.org/  

Learn CPR: https://citizencpr.org/  

Find out more about SCA: https://www.sca-aware.org/

Dispatch in Depth

Popular tracks