Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International has issued a call for workgroup members to participate in the creation of an ANSI standard that will establish criteria for crisis intervention techniques and call handling procedures telecommunicators take calls from emotionally distressed individuals.

The standard will include training requirements and procedures for effectively recognizing and communicating with individuals in emotional or mental crisis, as well as resources that need to be available to telecommunicators handling the call and debriefing processes. The processes defined in this standard will support responder and citizen safety, as well as result in better outcomes for individuals and communities.

“Telecommunicators are often the first public safety representatives to encounter emotionally distressed individuals and have an opportunity to start de-escalating potentially violent situations while a field responder is en route to the call,” said APCO International President Holly Wayt.

APCO International is looking for a well-balanced group that will include contributions from technical and operational subject matter experts. The time and day that the writing group will meet is yet to be established. It is anticipated that the writing group will meet via conference calls twice a month for the duration of this project and calls typically last no more than an hour.

Anyone interested should complete the online application and indicate their preference for this workgroup.

Crisis Intervention Techniques and Call Handling Procedures for Public Safety Telecommunicators

The application deadline is June 14, 2019.  Selections will be made within two weeks of the deadline and all applicants will be notified of their status.