Building a stronger ECC from first interest through leadership.
The future of 9-1-1 depends on technology, but even more on people. Across the country, emergency communications centers (ECCs) compete for talent, struggle to fill critical positions, and work to develop the next generation of supervisors, trainers, QA leaders and center leaders. At the same time, many of the traditional approaches to recruiting, selecting and developing people weren’t designed around the competencies actually required to succeed in today’s 9-1-1 environment.
What if we started earlier, looked more broadly, and built a more intentional path into and through the profession? This session will explore how 9-1-1 can create a true workforce pipeline, beginning with high schools, career and technical education programs, vocational schools, community colleges, and other nontraditional sources of talent. We’ll examine how ECCs can move beyond resumes and conventional interviews to assess the competencies, behaviors and abilities that actually align with the work of an emergency communications professional.
But finding the right people is only the beginning. We’ll also discuss how the same competency-based approach can continue throughout an employee’s career. How do we identify who may be ready to become a supervisor? What makes someone an effective trainer? What skills should a QA manager possess beyond simply being an experienced telecommunicator? And once those people are identified, how do we give them meaningful professional development without requiring centers to send employees across the country, spend thousands of dollars per person, or reserve development opportunities for only a select few?
The goal should be simple: assessment, education and professional development should be within reach of every ECC and every person who wants to build a career in this profession.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for building competency-based career pathways, expanding the 9-1-1 talent pipeline, identifying future leaders earlier and creating scalable development opportunities that can grow alongside employees throughout their careers.
