California ProCHRT promotes the Public Safety Communications profession and gathers information, studies and prepares multiple resources designed to affect long-term improvements in the career field. Help achieve the California ProCHRT committee goals by joining one of our teams. The following teams are currently active:
Stress & Health
Stress is a priority health concern in the Public Safety Communications profession. The Stress and Health team:
– Educates communications personnel in stress management;
– Identifies best practices to help prepare the newest employees to manage stress in their careers; and
– Develops training for experienced personnel to recognize and cope with their stress in the short and long term.
Public Safety Communications Center Culture
Culture can be defined as common and shared values that help shape employee behavior and are passed down from current to future employees. Finding ways to understand and recognize the values and beliefs is critical for industry leaders and professionals to reinforce the positive aspects of the dispatch culture and facilitate changes to destructive values that lead to a toxic workplace environment.
This workgroup develops tools and resources for public safety professionals to identify and change the underlying beliefs that influence dispatch culture as a means to unite, revitalize and empower public safety dispatchers to affect change in their environment.
Training & Leadership
Quality training at the beginning, middle, and toward the sunset of a career is necessary. The Training and Leadership Team develops resources to provide opportunities for personnel to develop and strengthen perishable skills essential for professional performance and future leadership.
First of the First Responders
When we say “first of the first responders”, we want everyone to recognize immediately “That’s a dispatcher!!” Because most dispatchers leave the profession long before reaching retirement age, this team focuses on raising the awareness of retention and longevity issues. Included is promoting “dispatch” as a career profession spanning multiple decades and culminating in retirement.
Radio Workload
This team works to quantify the amount of radio traffic a single dispatcher can handle with cognitive acuity. This includes finding a benchmark for radio operator workload and help managers understand workload requirements.
APCO International ProCHRT Toolbox