About the Student Recruitment Toolkit
Over the last several years APCO has offered several new resources and programs to help emergency communications centers (ECCs) face their staffing and retention challenges. This Student Recruitment Toolkit collects new and existing resources for use by ECCs interested in recruiting directly from local secondary and post-secondary schools.
As a new resource, the Toolkit will continue to develop as we learn more about existing programs and ideas. We encourage agencies that currently have programs to complete our survey so that we can share your ideas with others. To those who are thinking of starting a program, please send us your questions and let us know what else might be helpful.
Case Studies
To provide a taste of the ways ECCs are working with local schools, we asked ECCs to tell us about their student training and recruitment programs.
Cobb County (Ga.) Department of Emergency Communications
We sat down with Melissa Alterio, Executive Director, and Robbie McCormick, Deputy Director, Professional Standards & Development Division, from the Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications to talk about their student training and recruitment program with a local school.
We spoke to two additional agencies with school partnerships about how and why they started their programs and their goals and successes. Click on the school names to read the interviews.
Fairfax County (Va.) Department of Public Safety Communications
Can you please describe how your ECC connects with students in the area?
The Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC) connects with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) high school students from grades 10, 11, and 12. DPSC’s primary focus is the 9-1-1/Emergency Medical Telecommunications course (ETC) Emergency Medical Telecommunications | West Potomac Academy (fcps.edu). Ensuring we incorporate the full Fairfax County public safety ecosystem; we also established a working curriculum with the Criminal Justice and Emergency Medical Technician courses.
What is the goal of your student program?
DPSC’s goal is to spread awareness of the 9-1-1 telecommunications career field through education and hands-on experience for the course participants. This opportunity provides a broad view of public safety career options for those graduating high school. Many students who attend these courses come from Fairfax County’s underserved communities, and the course provides students an exposure to varying public safety career options.
How do you measure success? Have you hired anyone as a result of this program?
Our measured success is through presentation attendance, Academy leadership (including FCPS Academy High School principals, experience specialists and course instructors) and student feedback. Currently we average a course participation/engagement rate of over 400 students since 2021. The school’s partnership is managed by me and Communications Operations Manager Jessica Daza. Preliminary talks for a full-time support staff member position have been discussed. Our present model supports the current workload. Students have participated in the DPSC hiring process but were unable to achieve the required scoring to continue in the hiring process. We continue to assess hiring options that may assist students who successfully complete the courses.
What activities do you host for students?
Students are afforded the following:
- Introduction to 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator presentation.
- Overview of the public safety radio system and scenario-based training.
- Tours of our 9-1-1 Operations Center.
- 9-1-1 center sit-a-long opportunities.
- 9-1-1 center job shadowing and internship opportunities (summer course).
- Externship opportunity for students (school year).
- Fire & rescue dispatch scenarios (EMT).
- DPSC public safety exercise. This is a large-scale public safety practical event that includes a real-world scenario alongside professionals from 9-1-1 telecommunications, law enforcement, and fire & rescue.
- Training lab in classroom (developing).
- Co-facilitating with assigned instructors to provide SME point of view in classroom
- Outreach exposure for FCPS community credit hours.
How did this program begin at your ECC and why?
A connection was made after a DPSC employee’s high school student shared the course offering at West Potomac H.S. – Academy. A retired Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department Captain was teaching the course. He welcomed our insight, and we developed a partnership.
Fort Wayne/Allen County (Ind.) 911
Would you describe your ECC as being small, medium or large?
Fort Wayne, Indiana, the city that our center is based in, is the second largest city in the state. With that said, I would classify our center as larger center. Our staffing allows for 76 dispatchers and 5 admin staff.
How did this program begin at your ECC and why?
Originally, the Anthis Career program was developed around other careers that students were interested in that they could receive hands on experience with. As the program grew, they began adding other opportunities such as the criminal justice, fire science and EMT program. Since 9-1-1 plays such a pivotal role with police, fire and EMS, it was important to the instructor at the time to include dispatch as a part of program. The instructor reached out to our department and asked if there were any telecommunicators that would be interested in teaching a portion of the class regarding 9-1-1.
How do you measure success?
When the students are ready for their assessment, we have a rubric that we use to make sure they are completing all the tasks. This is a great tool in measuring they are successful along with the taking and passing of the telecommunicator test. This is an example of how we “grade” the students.
What activities do you host for students? Can you tell me more about the response you receive from students regarding your simulator activity?
We do presentations with the class and offer students who may be interested in 9-1-1 as a career to come sit with a staff member and observe. In my experience the students enjoy the simulator activity because we role play in four different ways. We have the “caller”, “call taker”, “dispatcher” and “officer.” Each student then rotates through all the roles allowing them to be involved in everything.
You mention that students become certified as basic telecommunicators after completing the class – can you tell me more about that? What does that enable them to do? Does it give them a leg-up in hiring? Does it alleviate the application process if they apply to your agency?
Students receive a certificate for passing the course, allowing them to add it their resume. This makes them marketable when applying to our center. I would say that this gives them a leg-up because they have shown interest, hold a certification and have a desire to help others. Unfortunately, it doesn’t alleviate the application process since we are a government agency and have steps through the city that we must complete. They still apply and go through all of the screening steps in accordance with city policy.
Reaching Out to Students and Schools
We have gathered these resources to assist ECCs interested in starting partnerships with schools in their area. Tools include an infographic depicting emergency communications career pathways, sample social media images and text, a sample email to send to schools, and a checklist of other ways to start partnering with local educational institutions and students.
This infographic demonstrates the pathway for a person interested in making a career of public safety telecommunications.
Download the infographic
Customize the examples below to target your local schools and highlight the opportunities you want to offer.
Sample Social Media Posts
Directed toward students …
Are you interested in a meaningful career where you can make an impact? Apply today to start a rewarding career in public safety communications! Be a lifeline for those in your community and make a difference when it matters most. #publicsafetycommunications #headsetheroes
Do you have a passion for problem-solving and helping others? Help save lives, connect people and make a real impact. Consider a career in public safety communications. #publicsafetycommunications #headsetheroes
Public safety telecommunicators are the behind-the-scenes heroes who save lives every day. They think fast, act smart and make a difference in our communities. Start your journey today and become part of our lifesaving team! #publicsafetycommunications #headsetheroes
Looking for a career that makes an impact? Look no further than public safety communications! It’s a fast-paced, rewarding field that helps you connect, protect and respond. You only have to be 18 to apply – your future in public safety starts here! #publicsafetycommunications #headsetheroes
Do you want to make an impact in your community? Public safety communications offers a rewarding career where you can make a real difference when it matters most. Are you ready to answer the call? #publicsafetycommunications #headsetheroes
Directed to schools …
We’re inviting schools to partner with us to provide students with real-world exposure to careers in #publicsafety and #emergencycommunications. Through the Career Instructor Program (CIP) offered by @APCO International, educators can complete the APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1 course at no cost and, in turn, teach the course to their students.
In addition to classroom learning, we’re excited to offer:
- Tours of our emergency communications center
- Student shadowing opportunities
- Career days and workshops led by our experienced team
These experiences can help students understand the critical role of public safety telecommunicators in the community and open their eyes to a rewarding career. If your school is interested in partnering with us or if you’d like more information, reach out today!
Customize this email to reach out to schools in your area about partnering for the future of public safety communications.
Subject: Partner with Us to Inspire the Next Generation of Public Safety Professionals
Dear [School Contact Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out from [Emergency Communications Center Name]. We are interested in partnering with you to prepare your students for impactful careers in public safety and emergency communications.
We think it is imperative to give students a deeper understanding of the 9-1-1 industry and inspire them to consider emergency communications as a viable and rewarding career path. Our 9-1-1 centers need dedicated individuals, and your students can be the next generation of public safety professionals.
There are several ways we can develop a partnership. APCO International, the largest public safety communications association, offers a free resource for certified educators – the Career Instructor Program (CIP). CIP equips certified educators with the tools they need to deliver industry-leading training to students interested in a future career as a public safety telecommunicator. Through this program, educators can attend APCO’s core Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1, 7th Edition course at no cost. In turn, they teach the course to secondary or post-secondary students. These students will graduate with a recognized credential that improves their readiness for ECC roles and fulfills ECC staffing needs.
Beyond providing classroom learning opportunities, we’d love to collaborate further. We’re interested in creating additional learning experiences for your students, such as:
- Tours of our emergency communications center to offer students an inside look at the critical work that happens behind the scenes.
- Shadowing opportunities where students can observe and learn directly from experienced public safety telecommunicators, gaining first-hand insights into the role.
- Career days or workshops, where our team can speak to your students about the important and rewarding opportunities in the emergency communications field.
If you’re interested in partnering with us on this initiative, please feel free to reach out. Together, we can create a powerful learning experience for your students and open doors to meaningful career opportunities.
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to exploring how we can work together!
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Emergency Communications Center Name]
[Contact Information]
We have interviewed multiple ECCs who have established successful programs in their local high schools and have compiled a list of their suggestions. Here are some ideas for activities you can implement within your ECC to build relationships with schools in your community.
- Offer an Introduction to 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator presentation at your local high school.
- Offer 9-1-1 center sit-a-long opportunities for high school students.
- Offer a presentation at the high school introducing students to emergency radio communications.
- Consult your local police and fire departments to see if they currently offer any programs or courses at your local high school. If they do, coordinate with them to introduce public safety communications with these students through a presentation.
- Establish connections/create contacts with staff members in your school district.
- Offer simulator/role-play activities where students have the opportunity to act as a caller, call taker, dispatcher and officer so that they can better understand the dynamics of an ECC and pique their interest in becoming a telecommunicator.
- Ensure you are developing relationships with all local high schools. One of the ECCs that has established a successful program has found an increased interest in the public safety communications field among students who come from underserved communities, as it provides them with exposure to career options they were not aware of.
- You could encourage interest in a program by offering an externship opportunity to an individual student over the course of a semester.
- Establish a partnership where students can earn community service hours by shadowing/learning about your ECC.
- Educate local high school students that they can have a career in public safety communications beginning at the age of 18.
- Host assemblies at your local high schools, educating them on what your ECC does and all its career options.
- Partner with your local chamber of commerce to discuss establishing a program in your school district. Chamber of commerce groups often have many resources and connections to assist with this.
- Coordinate with your local junior/community college to offer college students the same experiences listed above.
- Do not be afraid to take the first step and initiate contact with your local schools!
Reaching Out to Educators
APCO offers the following resources for teachers in educational institutions who wish to know more about public safety telecommunications and/or teach APCO’s fundamental course Public Safety Telecommunicator, 7th Edition to secondary and collegiate level students. Share these resources with instructors so they can learn about APCO’s offerings and how to take advantage of them.
Career Instructor Program
APCO offers a free resource for certified educators – the Career Instructor Program (CIP) – that equips certified educators with the tools they need to deliver industry-leading training to students interested in a future career as a public safety telecommunicator. This program provides benefits not only to the teachers, their students and their schools, but to the agencies in their regions and across the country.
- Training state licensed instructors to teach the APCO course frees up the time of working telecommunicators who may have previously taught the school-based course.
- Students who successfully complete the Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 7th edition, course come out of high school trained and ready to start working in an emergency communications center.
- As part of the course, students become familiar with the profession and the many career options it offers.
Student & Educator Membership
APCO’s Student & Educator membership is intended to increase an interested student’s exposure to the public safety communications industry through APCO membership benefits, training and events. It opens up awareness of public safety telecommunications as a career option and helps develop leaders for the future by reaching students with an aptitude for related careers early.
Interested in contacting educators in your area about these programs?
Here are some sample social media and email messages.
Sample Social Media Images and Copy
Click to open and download full-size image
Attention educators! Are your students interested in #publicsafety communications careers? We’re excited to share that the Career Instructor Program (CIP) from @APCOInternational is now available as a free resource for certified educators to teach the APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1 course. This program provides students with a PST certification and an introduction to the world of #emergencycommunications to spark their interest in a rewarding career. If you’d like to learn more about how to bring this unique opportunity to your classroom, contact us today or visit APCO’s website for more information. Together, we can help prepare the next generation of emergency communications professionals. https://www.apcointl.org/services/staffing-retention/career-instructor-program/ #publicsafety #telecommunicators
Click to open and download full-size image
Are you an educator certified to teach secondary or post-secondary courses? We have exciting news for you and your students! The Career Instructor Program (CIP) from @APCO International is a free resource available to certified teachers to help your students gain insight into the world of #emergencycommunications. The program allows you to teach the APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1 course, which provides your students with an industry-recognized certification. CIP enables your students to take the first step in a career that makes a difference in the community. Interested in partnering with us to bring this opportunity to your school? Send us a message, comment below or visit APCO’s website for more information. https://www.apcointl.org/services/staffing-retention/career-instructor-program/ #publicsafety #telecommunicators
Sample Email Message
Subject: Free Career Instructor Program for Your Students: A Pathway to Public Safety Careers
Dear [School Contact Name],
I am reaching out from [emergency communications center name] to share an incredible opportunity for your students interested in pursuing careers in public safety and emergency communications.
We have access to a free resource for certified educators – the Career Instructor Program (CIP) offered by APCO International. CIP equips certified educators with the tools they need to deliver industry-leading training to students interested in a future career as a public safety telecommunicator. Through this program, educators can attend APCO’s core Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1, 7th Edition course at no cost. In turn, they teach the course to secondary or post-secondary students. These students will graduate with a recognized credential that improves their readiness for ECC roles and fulfills ECC staffing needs.
This is a fantastic way to enrich your curriculum while helping students explore and prepare for impactful careers that serve their communities. As staffing shortages in emergency communications centers continue to be a challenge nationwide, your role in introducing students to this field could make a real difference in the 9-1-1 industry.
If you’re interested in learning more about CIP and how your school can get involved, please feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to provide further details or set up a discussion with an APCO representative.
Thank you for considering this unique opportunity for your students.
Warm regards,
[Your Name][Your Position][Emergency Communications Center Name][Contact Information]
