EMBARKING ON A NEW CAREER Meet the New Mobile Fire-Rescue Dispatchers
From left, Patrice Brown, Christa Blackburn and Summer Barnett
September 13th marked the start of training for three new members of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Communications Division. Public Safety Dispatchers Patrice Brown, Christa Blackburn and Summer Barnett recently completed their 8-week classroom portion of MFRD’s Public Safety Dispatcher I Training Program. Classroom training included certification in APCO’s Public Safety Telecommunicator I and Fire Service Communications, International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Emergency Fire and Emergency Medical Dispatch. Other courses completed were CPR, Geography for Public Safety Dispatch, Fire Station Tours as well as training in the usage of the department’s Computer-
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Aided Dispatch (CAD) System, as well as departmental telephone and radio equipment. They now begin the next phase of training at the “live console” which includes taking 9-1-1 calls and dispatching fire and EMS apparatus with the assistance of an experienced dispatcher by their side. This portion can take several months with some progressing faster than others depending on skills and experience they may have brought with them to the job. The MFRD Communications Team has been most helpful to these new employees as they embark on their new career path. We look forward to working with them and welcome them to the MFRD Family!
