Jason and Kathy Lott, founders of the Thin Gold Line Foundation, talk about Jason’s experience as an emergency dispatcher with PTSD and the resources their organization provides for other dispatchers. 
 

For Your Information: 
The Thin Gold Line Foundation website: https://www.thethingoldlinefoundation.com/ 

WarFighter Advance website: https://www.warfighteradvance.org/

Supplementary reading: The Healthy Dispatcher by Adam Timm and The Resilient 911 Professional by Jim Marshall

The Thin Gold Line Foundation with Jason and Kathy Lott

Lori Henricksen, BX3 Public Safety owner and training consultant and creator of the Emergency Telecommunications Program at VTCTA, and Lily Petersen, former student of the program and current communications specialist supervisor at the Las Vegas Combined Communications Center, discuss the benefits of providing high school students with career technical education (CTE) in emergency dispatching. 

For Your Information: 
Listen to Lori’s previous episode: https://www.aedrjournal.org/the-next-generation-of-dispatchers-with-lori-henricksen  

Check out the Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy: https://www.vtcta.org/

Contact Lori: lori (at) bx3publicsafety (dot) com

Lori's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lori-henricksen-4b134335

BX3 Public Safety, LLC: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bx3-public-safety-llc/

Comms Coach podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast

Lily's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lily-petersen-91146869

School of Dispatch with Lori Henricksen and Lily Petersen

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

Michelle Vetter, Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator with Morris County Communications in New Jersey, Deborah McCombs, Emergency Calltaker III with Prince George’s County in Maryland, Matthew Foletti, an officer with the Met Police in London, and David Emerson, a senior clinician in Australia, discuss their experiences taking the EMD and EPD Instructor courses. They talk about their street experience in emergency response, things that surprised them as they’ve begun to teach, and advice for other people thinking about applying. 

For Your Information: 
Michelle’s segment—01:25 
Deborah’s segment—13:36 
Matthew’s segment—20:13 
David’s segment—29:14 

Listen to Eric Fayad talk about the Academy side of things: https://www.aedrjournal.org/the-instructor-academy-with-eric-fayad

Future Instructors with Michelle Vetter, Deborah McCombs, Matthew Foletti, and David Emerson

Carlynn Page Crampton, Engagement Strategist with FirstWatch, discusses how FirstWatch assists Emergency Dispatchers in their everyday practices. She also talks about what attendees of NAVIGATOR 2024 can look forward to at the FirstWatch booth. 

This is the first in our series highlighting the Partner and Platinum Sponsors of NAVIGATOR 2024 in Washington, D.C. 

For Your Information: 
Listen to Carlynn’s previous episode: https://www.aedrjournal.org/on-firstwatch  
Check out the FirstWatch website: https://firstwatch.net

FirstWatch: Better Together with Carlynn Page Crampton

Brian Dale, President of Priority Dispatch, gives his thoughts on the enduring value of the NAVIGATOR educational conference, what technology improvements the company is working on, and how you can be part of the changes coming to emergency response. 

This is the final installment in our series highlighting the Partner and Platinum Sponsors of NAVIGATOR 2024 in Washington, D.C.

For Your Information: 
Check out Priority Dispatch’s new and improved website: https://www.prioritydispatch.net/

Priority Dispatch: Making Way for the Future with Brian Dale

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

Educator, clinician, and scholar Dr. Michelle Lilly gives highlights of her past emergency dispatch research papers and projects, then presents the preliminary findings of her groundbreaking video to 911 study. 

For Your Information: 
Lilly Consulting: www.lilly-consulting.com

Video to 911 Research with Dr. Michelle Lilly

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

Dr. Russell MacDonald, the Medical Director for Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto’s Central Ambulance Communications Centre, discusses what a communication center medical director is and how their role affects your work. 

For Your Information: 
Toronto Paramedic Services – social media sites: 
https://www.youtube.com/@TorontoMedics 
https://www.facebook.com/TorontoMedics/ 
https://x.com/torontomedics 
https://www.instagram.com/torontomedicsofficial/ 

Emergency Care in the Streets (Canadian edition): 
https://www.psglearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284196641  

A link to some of Dr. MacDonald’s publications and related activities: 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Russell-MacDonald

The Role of a Comm. Center M.D. with Dr. Russell MacDonald

Meridith Jensen, Software & EDQ Protocol Expert with Priority Dispatch Corp., talks about PDC’s new podcast, “Tell Me Exactly,” which she hosts. She discusses the differences between “Tell Me Exactly” and “Dispatch in Depth,” her favorite episode so far, and her goals for the project. 

 
For Your Information: 
Listen to Tell Me Exactly on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tell-me-exactly/id1741570579 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rpohCpEPDGFjma6HQYPla  

Or look for it wherever you get your podcasts.

Tell Me Exactly with Meridith Jensen

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

Carlynn Crampton, Engagement Strategist, joins us to give you an update on FirstWatch. She discusses Academy Analytics, the Risk Identification for Emergency Services (RIDES) tool, and what to expect at their booth at NAVIGATOR. 


For Your Information: 
Check out the FirstWatch website: https://firstwatch.net/  
Learn more about the RIDES tool: https://firstwatch.net/what-we-do/enhancement-modules/rides/  

FirstWatch: Unafraid of Data with Carlynn Crampton

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

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 

New tracks tagged #911 operators