New! APCO Course Bundles Now Available

Fast track to certification with APCO’s new course bundles. These packages combine related courses into one streamlined learning experience, so you can save time and reach your goals faster.

Available Bundles

  • Public Safety Telecommunicator 1 (PST) / Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD)
    May 13 – July 5
  • PST / PST Instructor
    May 20 – July 26
  • EMD / EMD Instructor
    May 27 – July 26

Benefits of a Bundle

  • Complete related courses in one convenient track
  • Reduce time to certification
  • Simplify registration

Skip the hassle of enrolling in individual courses. Bundle your training and move forward in your career faster.  Applicable course prerequisites apply.

Register for a bundle

Bundle Course Descriptions

Public Safety Telecommunicator 1 (PST) / Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD)

Prerequisites: Upload your current CPR card by the end of the PST course to qualify to attend the EMD course.

Cost: $885 Members/$985 Non-Members

 Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed. – 4 weeks

Ideal for training the new-hire or as a refresher for existing staff, APCO’s PST1 course covers the basics skills, knowledge and abilities every successful public safety telecommunicator needs to meet the demands of this critical work.

Students successfully passing the final exam receive APCO Institute certification demonstrating completion of a training course that meets and exceeds industry accepted national basic training standards. Please visit our Standards webpage to review current standards.

Building on foundational topics such as communication skills, call taking and radio techniques, the PST course blends in the most up-to-date information on technology and work-related issues in public safety communications centers. “Hot” topics include NextGen 9-1-1, emerging technologies, continuing ed., and liability.

Training modules include:

  • Introduction to Your new Career
  • Interpersonal Communications
  • Telephone Communications Techniques: Call Processing
  • Telephony, Traditional Technology
  • Next Generation 9-1-1
  • Telephony: TTY
  • Telematics and Collision Notification Systems
  • Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Related technologies
  • Radio Communications Techniques
  • Radio Technology
  • Call Classifications
  • NIMS Incident Command System
  • Liability Issues
  • Preparing for your New Career (stress management)

CDEs Earned: 40

Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified PSTs must provide proof every two years of 48 hours (24 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed. course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

 

 

Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 5 – 3 weeks Fast Track

ELIGIBILITY NOTE: This course is one component of APCO’s comprehensive Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Program, which includes training, dispatch guide cards, quality assurance requirements and documentation. Individuals who successfully complete this course ARE NOT QUALIFIED to provide emergency medical dispatch services unless they are employed by an emergency communications center that has implemented or is implementing APCO’s full EMD Program. For more information, contact [email protected].

Topics covered provide the student with the knowledge and foundation to answer calls for emergency medical service and properly prioritize the response. The course also provides the student with the knowledge needed to convey proper pre-arrival instructions to the caller when needed.

Topics include:

  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Resource Allocation
  • Legal & Liability Issues: National/State Standards
  • Call Taking and APCO EMD Guidecard Information
  • Chief Complain Types Review
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Quality Assurance and Recertification
  • Stress Management

The classroom setting provides practical exercises to help the new EMD become familiar with the theories and practices of EMD and students will practice with either their agency’s APCO EMD Guidecards or the APCO Institute Training EMD Guidecards in simulated EMD calls.

Completion of this course is required for enrollment in the EMD Instructor.

Note: The online EMD course requires students to attend a practical practice conference call in week six. The week six practical practice conference call lasts around 1.5 hours. The final practical practice is completed by a one-on-one conference call with the instructor at the end of the course.

These sessions may or may not be during the student’s regularly scheduled work time, especially if the student works overnight. Arrangements will/may have to be made at the agency level to allow the student to attend these required sessions.

CDEs Earned: 32

Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified EMDs must provide proof every two years of 24 hours (12 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 5 course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

PST / PST Instructor Course Bundle

Prerequisites:  The prerequisites for any instructor course are a minimum of one year in an ECC, and you will be required to enter the date you began working in an ECC by the end of the PST student course to qualify to attend the PST Instructor course.

Cost: $965 Members/$1,065 Non-Members

 Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed. – 4 weeks

Ideal for training the new-hire or as a refresher for existing staff, APCO’s PST1 course covers the basics skills, knowledge and abilities every successful public safety telecommunicator needs to meet the demands of this critical work.

Students successfully passing the final exam receive APCO Institute certification demonstrating completion of a training course that meets and exceeds industry accepted national basic training standards. Please visit our Standards webpage to review current standards.

Building on foundational topics such as communication skills, call taking and radio techniques, the PST course blends in the most up-to-date information on technology and work-related issues in public safety communications centers. “Hot” topics include NextGen 9-1-1, emerging technologies, continuing ed., and liability.

Training modules include:

  • Introduction to Your new Career
  • Interpersonal Communications
  • Telephone Communications Techniques: Call Processing
  • Telephony, Traditional Technology
  • Next Generation 9-1-1
  • Telephony: TTY
  • Telematics and Collision Notification Systems
  • Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Related technologies
  • Radio Communications Techniques
  • Radio Technology
  • Call Classifications
  • NIMS Incident Command System
  • Liability Issues
  • Preparing for your New Career (stress management)

CDEs Earned: 40

Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified PSTs must provide proof every two years of 48 hours (24 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed. course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Ed., Instructor – 5 weeks

This course explores the basic skills and techniques of teaching with a focus on how they apply to the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Edition course. Based on proven adult education principles, completing this course will prepare students to teach APCO courses at their own agencies. Completion of this course will provide students with the skills to foster a positive learning environment, create and use various classroom instructional methodologies, develop classroom resources geared toward deeper learning, conduct APCO Institute course exams, and understand the liability factors related to training.

Instructional media and exercises used throughout the course reinforce the knowledge attained in lecture and demonstration. In addition, each participant receives a comprehensive Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Edition Instructor Guide Package as part of the course tuition. The Instructor Guide package includes the Instructor Techniques textbook, course outline, lesson plans, the course manual, and detailed instructions on how to set up and run the course in-house for your agency. The course culminates in both a written and a practical exam. The practical exam is a demonstration lesson during which the instructors-in-training prepare and teach a lesson drawn from the course during a teleconference session.

PST 1, 7th Edition Instructor Online is a blended course, consisting of both the online (access anytime, 24/7) as well as virtual sessions (pre-scheduled via teleconference links). Students must commit to and attend the live sessions which include the demonstration lesson required to successfully complete the course.

Once certified to teach this course, your instructors will be registered in our online community of instructors, created for the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Edition course. These PSConnect communities give access to discussion boards, information exchanges, contacts with APCO Institute staff, and all Institute course teaching resources, including the companion PowerPoint, audio-visual resources, optional readings, study packages, puzzles, and games.

The PST 1, 7th Edition Instructor Techniques course includes modules on:

  • Learning and Learners
  • The Role of the Instructor
  • Teaching an APCO Course
  • Design and Use of Instructional Media
  • Teaching Techniques
  • Testing and Evaluation
  • Liability in Training
  • Demonstration Lesson

Upon successful completion of the course, they will be certified as an agency instructor to deliver the PST 1, 7th Edition course. Your instructors can train either in-house or regionally, reducing your in-service training and travel costs.

CDEs Earned: 40

Recertification Requirements:
APCO Institute certified agency instructors are required to recertify every two years. Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th Edition Instructor course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education and teaching.

EMD / EMD Instructor Course Bundle

Prerequisites: Affiliation agency MUST be implementing the APCO EMD Program or completely implemented with guidecards in-house in order to attend this course bundle.

All EMD/EMD instructor candidates must have successfully completed the APCO PST student course or another formal, instructor-led, 40-hour basic telecommunicator course and current CPR certification (AHA, ARC or equivalent) prior to attending the EMD student course. All EMD instructor candidates who wish to teach the medical portion must hold a current EMT with ALS, paramedic or higher certification. Note that the prerequisites for any instructor courses are a minimum of one year in an ECC, and you will be required to enter the date you began working in an ECC by the end of the EMD student course to qualify to attend the EMD Instructor course.

Cost: $1,030 Members/$1,130 Non-Members

Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 5 – 3 weeks Fast Track

Prerequisites: Affiliation agency MUST be implementing the APCO EMD Program or completely implemented with guidecards in-house in order to attend this course bundle.

All EMD/EMD instructor candidates must have successfully completed the APCO PST student course or another formal, instructor-led, 40-hour basic telecommunicator course and current CPR certification (AHA, ARC or equivalent) prior to attending the EMD student course. All EMD instructor candidates who wish to teach the medical portion must hold a current EMT with ALS, Paramedic or higher certification. Note that the prerequisites for any instructor course is a  minimum of one year in an ECC  and you will be required to enter the date you began working in an ECC by the end of the EMD student course to qualify to attend the EMD Instructor course.

Topics include:

  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Resource Allocation
  • Legal & Liability Issues: National/State Standards
  • Calltaking and APCO EMD Guidecard Information
  • Chief Complain Types Review
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Quality Assurance and Recertification
  • Stress Management

The classroom setting provides practical exercises to help the new EMD become familiar with the theories and practices of EMD and students will practice with either their agency’s APCO EMD Guidecards or the APCO Institute Training EMD Guidecards in simulated EMD calls.

Completion of this course is required for enrollment in the EMD Instructor.

Note: The online EMD course requires students to attend a practical practice conference call in week six. The week six practical practice conference call lasts around 1.5 hours. The final practical practice is completed by a one-on-one conference call with the instructor at the end of the course.

These sessions may or may not be during the student’s regularly scheduled work time, especially if the student works overnight. Arrangements will/may have to be made at the agency level to allow the student to attend these required sessions.

CDEs Earned: 32

Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified EMDs must provide proof every two years of 24 hours (12 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 5 course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 5, Instructor – 5 weeks

The APCO Institute EMD Program combines telecommunicator skills with medical knowledge. According to ASTM and NHTSA standards the APCO Institute requires that the Emergency Medical Dispatch Course be taught by instructors with telecommunicator and medical backgrounds. All EMD instructor candidates must hold a current CPR certification (AHA, ARC or equivalent) and those who wish to teach the medical portion must have, minimally, current certification as an EMD-Advanced under the National Standard Curriculum as set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and ASTM International. Affiliation agency MUST be implementing the APCO EMD Program, or completely implemented with guidecards in-house.

Any candidate that does not possess or obtain this level of training will be classified as a restricted dispatch instructor and will not be able to teach the medical portion of the courses. Agencies with a restricted dispatch instructor must also have a restricted medical instructor that meets the required level of training and required medical certification. If one individual can fulfill both the telecommunications and medical requirements, that person may teach the entire course alone. If not, the course must be presented by two APCO EMD instructors who meet the proper qualifications. Any agency that does not have an in-house medical instructor can contact APCO for assistance with instructing the medical modules for an additional cost.

This course explores the basic skills and techniques of teaching with a focus on how they apply to the Emergency Medical Dispatch 5.5 course. Based on proven adult education principles, completing this course will prepare students to teach APCO courses at their own agencies. Completion of this course will provide students with the skills to foster a positive learning environment, create and use various classroom instructional methodologies, develop classroom resources geared toward deeper learning, conduct APCO Institute course exams, and understand the liability factors related to training.

Instructional media and exercises used throughout the course reinforce the knowledge attained in lecture and demonstration. In addition, each participant receives a comprehensive Emergency Medical Dispatch 5.5 Instructor Guide Package as part of the course tuition. The Instructor Guide package includes the Instructor Techniques textbook, course outline, lesson plans, the course manual, and detailed instructions on how to set up and run the course in-house for your agency. The course culminates in both a written and a practical exam. The practical exam is a demonstration lesson during which the instructors-in-training prepare and teach a lesson drawn from the course during a teleconference session.

EMD 5.5 Instructor Online is a blended course, consisting of both the online (access anytime, 24/7) as well as virtual sessions (pre-scheduled via teleconference links). Students must commit to and attend the live sessions which include the demonstration lesson required to successfully complete the course.

Once certified to teach this course, your instructors will be registered in our online community of instructors, created for the Emergency Medical Dispatch 5.5 course. These PSConnect communities give access to discussion boards, information exchanges, contacts with APCO Institute staff, and all Institute course teaching resources, including the companion PowerPoint, audio-visual resources, optional readings, study packages, puzzles, and games.

The EMD 5.5 Instructor Techniques course includes modules on:

  • Introduction to EMD
  • Overview of the EMD Program
  • Practical Skill Development
  • Implementation Policies and Procedures
  • Learning and Learners
  • The Role of the Instructor
  • Teaching an APCO Course
  • Design and Use of Instructional Media
  • Teaching Techniques
  • Testing and Evaluation
  • Liability in Training
  • Demonstration Lesson

Upon successful completion of the course, they will be certified as an agency instructor to deliver the EMD 5.5 course. Your instructors can train either in-house or regionally, reducing your in-service training and travel costs.

Restrictions:
APCO Institute certified EMD 5.5 Instructors may not conduct classes outside their own agency. Excluded from this restriction are agencies who are part of a regional system with a common medical director and common guidecards. EMD programs vary from agency to agency and APCO Institute, in accordance with the NHTSA and ASTM Standards, restricts instructors to instruction in their own agencies. Contact APCO Institute for more details.

CDEs Earned: 40

Recertification Requirements:
APCO Institute certified agency instructors are required to recertify every two years. Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Emergency Medical Dispatch 5.5 Instructor course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education and teaching.

Register for a bundle