The APCO Young Professionals Committee recognizes Russ Palmer as this quarter’s young professional spotlight. Russ is the Deputy Director of the Support Services Division for Chatham 911 in Georgia. His division includes training, quality assurance, open records, community outreach and technical services.
Before working for Chatham 911, Russ served as the 911 Director in Laurens County, Georgia, for four years. Russ has been in a public safety position for the past 11 years, including serving as a firefighter/EMT, but said he likes being behind the scenes more than being on the streets. Russ said he enjoys a fast-paced environment along with being able to impact people’s lives by providing them the services they need. Russ hopes his excitement makes young professionals see the 9-1-1 industry as a career and not “just a job.”
“The thing I love most about this profession are the people,” Russ said. He believes his network of 9-1-1 professionals has been critical to his success. Having this group of people allows for calls to be made at any time for help. Everyone in this group relies on each other to bounce ideas off each other and make sure they don’t have to “recreate the wheel.” By learning from each other’s mistakes and struggles, they all can succeed. This sharing was also why Russ was so excited about joining APCO’s Young Professional Committee, providing him more people to connect with and learn about what is working to increase the number of young professionals in the industry and encourage those already in the profession.
Young professionals, as well as others looking at this job, face many challenges, Russ explained. These challenges include low pay, non-conducive schedules, lack of recognition and poor management. Russ excitedly said APCO has been helping with one of these challenges by working to reclassify the profession into the public safety class. Russ is a member of the Georgia NENA Board that is also working on this cause.
Another issue faced by young professionals is the inability to grow in the career. Everyone wants to grow professionally but doesn’t always have the opportunity to do so. Russ believes agencies need to promote professional growth through continued education and training, as well as provide some type of career ladder.
One of the goals Russ has is to change the perception of the millennial workforce stereotype. He reminds all those younger professionals not to get caught up in the drama, don’t take things personally, be open to change, and be willing to adapt.
Many of these skills Russ learned or strengthened through APCO’s Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) and Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) programs. These certification programs are available to APCO members and can serve as a tremendous resource not only during the program but for years to come after graduation. Russ concluded his interview by wanting to remind young professionals to “be part of the change and help move your agency forward.
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