ProCHRT Final Report
The APCO International Professional Communications Human Resources Taskforce (ProCHRT) released its final report and recommendations on Aug. 5 during the APCO conference in Philadelphia.

During the Aug. 7 First General Business Session in Philadelphia, taskforce Chair Steve Souder told the APCO leadership, “For the last year, the [ProCHRT] task force gathered information and stats. Unfortunately today, even though that [final] report is 51 pages, it still rates an F.”

The taskforce was established to gather information and study and prepare reference materials pertaining to the human resource factors of the 9-1-1 public safety communications profession and recognition of that profession throughout the nation. In doing so, it conducted the first-ever national research endeavor to determine what level of training is provided and/or required for 9-1-1 public safety communications calltakers and dispatchers in each state, identify applicable mandates at state and federal levels, determine what states officially identify the 9-1-1 public safety communications professional as part of the “first responder” and “public safety” communities. The responsibility and workload of 9-1-1 calltakers and dispatchers isn’t well understood, appreciated or recognized, even though it’s indispensable in ensuring the delivery of public safety resources to those in need.

As follow-up to its interim report released in August 2010, ProCHRT’s final report offers a frank analysis regarding the insufficient support provided to the critical mission and individual public safety communications professional. This report has expanded information by state, highlights the lack of recognition and its effect on the profession, the inherent stress of the position and offers recommendations to reach the desired goals of training standardization and recognition. Download the full report at https://www.apcointl.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/prochrt_2ndedition.pdf.

In addition to the report, the members of ProCHRT have created a toolbox that will include legislative and public and media resources. The toolbox will provide resources to public safety communications professionals seeking to establish training standards or retirement legislation in their state. These resources and accompanying webinars will be available on the APCO website (www.apcointl.org).

During the business session, Souder called his fellow APCO members to action, invoking the successes of grassroots efforts of members to advocate for and make changes to the status quo.

“Behind every piece of technology and legislative initiative, we all know that it comes home to one calltaker or dispatcher sitting in front of multiple screens,” he said. “It’s [the task force’s] hope that this association that we all love so much will do as much to improve the situation of calltakers and dispatchers that field the 260,000 9-1-1 calls every day. This is a wonderful opportunity for our association.”

About the Author
Loredana Elsberry Schwartz, MABC, RPL, is manager of strategic development for APCO International.