Natalie Duran Named APCO International Co-Chair of the NJTI
Natalie Duran, fire communications officer with Miami Dade Fire Rescue Department, was recently appointed to the position of APCO International co-chair of the National Joint TERT Initiative (NJTI). Before her appointment, Duran was the Florida representative to the NJTI Board. She replaces APCO International Life Member Brent Lee in the role.
Duran has been involved in public safety for more than 35 years. Her primary experience stems from her involvement with the Miami Dade Fire Rescue Department. During her time there, Natalie assisted in developing a disaster mutual aid plan after Hurricane Andrew (1992) that was adopted by the state of Florida in 1993. This plan was one later embraced by APCO International and NENA for implementation during disasters, known today as the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT).
“I have had the honor and privilege of teaching the TERT Basic and Team Leader courses across the nation since 2006,” Duran tells Public Safety Communications. “It is with great pride that I have acquired a family of professional, dedicated and committed telecommunicators who are ready to help their fellow brothers and sisters in public safety in their times of need.”
Duran supervises the Communications Training Section for Miami Dade. As of January 2012, Florida began requiring all telecommunicators to be certified and receive 232 hours of training. Duran was selected by the state to join a 9-1-1 telecommunicator committee to work on the curriculum.
As the Critical Incident Stress Management Regional Coordinator and a member of the home team for Florida Task Force 1 & II, she was actively involved in working with the Task Force members and their families during the Haiti earthquake.
She continues to work with emergency responders who are in the military and deploy to war. A Marine Mom, this is one area that holds a special place in her heart.
Duran will work alongside Sherry Decker, ENP, who replaces Doug Edmonds as the NENA co-chair of NJTI.
“We thank Brent Lee and Doug Edmonds for their years of dedicated service to TERT,” said APCO International President Gregg Riddle. “We also wish Natalie Duran and Sherry Decker much success in their new roles.”
