Emergency Telecommunicator Certification

This course is offered in partnership with Henrico County Public Safety. In addition to completing the 40-hour course, students may also complete a 40-hour paid internship with Henrico County as well. Students must apply and be selected to participate in this internship program no later than April 24th,2023. Apply Here: https://henrico.us/services/jobs/ search keyword “Dispatcher” and select the position of “9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatcher”)

Students successfully completing all aspects of the internship and course (80 Hours and all prescreening activities) will move forward in the Safety Communications hiring process for Henrico County. 

The Emergency Telecommunicator Program is designed to train students who are unfamiliar with emergency communication centers, emergency telecommunication technology, interpersonal communication, legal issues, and job stress factors.
The program takes an integrated teaching approach that features comprehensive content, multimedia presentations, and hands-on training.

The course covers the following topics:

• Roles and Responsibilities of the Emergency Telecommunicator
• Emergency Telecommunication Technologies
• Telecommunication Essentials
• Interpersonal Communication
• Caller Management
• Police Call Classification
• Fire Call Classification
• Medical Call Classification
• Man-Made and Natural Catastrophic Events
• Radio Broadcast Procedures
• Legal Aspects of Public Safety Communication
• Quality Improvement
• Stress Management

ETC certification is earned through successfully completing the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) 40-hour (minimum) Emergency Telecommunicator Course and achieving a passing score (80%) on the certification examination. Certification is valid for two years.