Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The 2012 APCO Global Congress may not officially get started until tomorrow, but that didn’t seem to matter to the 20 dispatchers from Saudi Aramco who came early to attend an APCO Institute training program on the Effective Communications Training Officer presented by Gary Thomas on Monday, April 30.

APCO’s partnership with Saudi Aramco goes back to 2009, when Mark Boudreaux was selected by APCO Institute to train and certify Saudi Arabia’s first group of 9-1-1 professionals at King Abdullah’s University of Science and Technology (KAUST), located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. (See “When West Trains East, Part Ithnain (II).”)

During the first three months, over 1,600 9-1-1 calls were answered, processed and dispatched from the center. APCO has now trained more than 100 dispatchers associated with Saudi Aramco, and 20 of them came to Dubai for refresher training.

In appreciation for this valued partnership and in anticipation of stronger ties to come, APCO International President Gregg Riddle presented a small memento to Adel Wuhaib, transformation team leader and superintendent of industrial security training division for Saudi Aramco.

“We value the relationship we have with Saudi ARAMCO, and it’s a real pleasure to present this token of appreciation to you today,” said APCO International President Gregg Riddle, who also presented Wuhaib with his presidential challenge coin.

Wuhaib thanked Riddle and APCO and expressed his desire for a continued and enhanced relationship.

Keri Losavio, editor
Public Safety Communications